One of my favorite things to do every offseason is to compare my post-draft notes on the Eagles’ rookies and then analyze how they performed when they got a chance. I won’t write a full scouting report because I always do that after they are drafted.
Steen only played 71 snaps as a rookie, taking 68 snaps at right guard and 3 at left guard. He received a 60 PFF grade and gave up 6 total pressures.
Overall
Tyler Steen didn’t play much, so there’s not much to add here. But it’s still worth refreshing our minds to see what he looked like pre-draft and as a rookie. Steen never played at guard in college, but I had a feeling this was where he would end up, as you can see from my report last year. As always, I’ll add comments, film clips, and quotes from my scouting report.
The biggest issue I have with Steen is that we haven’t actually seen him at guard! Ever! He’s only played tackle. I think it’s easy for everyone to just assume that it’s an easy transition to go from tackle to guard, but I’m sure it’s not always that easy. I do not think it is completely out of the question that he ends up at tackle permanently, but I think the arm length is a real concern. I think Jeff Stoutland can help him clean up some of his technical issues, but he can’t make his arms longer. Unless he really is special…
The biggest compliment I can say about Tyler Steen’s film from 2023 was that he didn’t look out of place. It’s easy to forget he had only played tackle, but he handled himself well and didn’t look unnatural when asked to play guard. He had some very positive reps in the run game, where he flashed the ability to move defensive linemen and create some nice rushing lanes.
2) I would love to know why the Eagles don’t run outside zone with pin/pull more. I swear, this play works more than any other running (not involving the QB run game). The Eagles run game wasn’t great, but this was outstanding. Great job by Steen and Kelce.
4) Easily my favorite call of the night. Swift’s movement from WR to RB gets the Eagles an extra number in the box as the Cowboys don’t match it, and Gainwell is almost like a fullback on this. Really good by Steen & Lane Johnson here too. The Eagles use of pony package continues…
He did play tackle in the preseason, and the Eagles ran Dart with him (tackle power), which is a clear sign that they rate his athleticism.
It felt like the Eagles wanted to see Steen in action and featured him early on. Here’s Dart, with Steen pulling. He moves very well for a big guy but would like to see a little more strength at the point of attack. I thought it was a decent first game though and he looked fine.
I think many of his issues were technical and had to do with overcompensating for his arm length while playing tackle. I trust Jeff Stoutland to solve the first issue, and I think the second issue will go away if he moves to guard. I think the rest of his profile is very solid. He has really good size and athleticism and I expect him to be a solid starter, if not ever a special player, for the duration of his career. I think he will end up at guard, but could definitely provide backup at tackle as well next year. Having versatility as an offensive lineman is really important and even if Steen doesn’t start immediately, he could end up as the Eagles’ top backup at both guard and tackle next season.
