Thumbs up or down: Eagles beat writers weigh in on drafting Alabama guard Tyler Steen

Tyler Steen played most of his collegiate career at Vanderbilt, starting on the defensive line before moving to the other side of the ball for his last three seasons there. He transferred to Alabama as a graduate student and started at left tackle for 13 games. He has tackle size at 6-foot-5, 325 pounds, but the Eagles announced him as a guard, and one look at his arm length — 32¾ inches — suggests why.

Howie Roseman traded out of the back end of the second round and into the third and passed on a couple of Georgia players — cornerback Kelee Ringo, whom the Eagles drafted in the fourth round, and tight end Darnell Washington — avoiding a trifecta of Bulldogs with his first three selections of this draft. But he continued his recent trend of choosing prospects from power conference powerhouses in the early rounds.

» READ MORE: Eagles use third-round draft picks to select Alabama OL Tyler Steen and Illinois S Sydney Brown

Steen will need some polishing in the pros, but he should have time to watch one of the best starting O-lines in the NFL and learn from one of the best O-line coaches in the league. If Jeff Stoutland still projects him as a guard in a year, he could have a starting spot if Jason Kelce retires and Cam Jurgens makes the expected move from right guard to center.

The 22-year-old Steen has football and heroism in his veins. His father, Daris, played at LSU and is a retired Marine, while his grandfather, Rodney M. Davis, posthumously received the Medal of Honor for jumping on a grenade to save his fellow soldiers in the Vietnam War.

It remains to be seen how Steen fares in his likely transition from tackle to guard, but the Eagles, particularly Stoutland, have earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to drafting developmental offensive linemen.

Steen’s athletic testing and physical traits suggest he’s an ideal candidate for a position switch. At 6-5, 325 pounds, he’s a stoutly built lineman with a powerful lower half. He was 83rd percentile in the broad jump among offensive linemen and 69th in the vertical jump.

There were a few other potential starters available when the Eagles picked, which is the only major quibble I have with the pick. Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders and Tulane running back Tyjae Spears stand out. Cornerbacks Ringo and Garrett Williams could also have made sense at No. 65. That said, Steen could also be a potential starter depending on how the offseason goes and fills a long-term need at a position the team values.

Steen’s technique needs improvement, and his arm length will make it difficult for him to stick at tackle outside of emergency situations, but the Eagles gave Stoutland a similar project with Jack Driscoll a few years ago. Driscoll, who is going into the final year of his rookie deal, has developed into a solid swing tackle off the bench and also has guard versatility. At the very least, Steen figures to be a similar player for the Eagles even if Driscoll can find a starting job as a free agent next offseason.

The ceiling for Steen is much higher than Driscoll, though. He should get a chance to start at right guard next season if the transition goes smoothly and could even prove to eventually become the heir apparent for Lane Johnson if he can overcome his shorter arms. In general, it’s a good idea to give him a year or two under Stoutland’s tutelage and see where it takes him.

The Eagles wouldn’t draft an offensive lineman without Stoutland’s blessing, especially after they handed one of the league’s most respected assistant coaches a contract extension following the team’s run to the Super Bowl.

Steen might project as a guard in the NFL due to his sub-33-inch arms. However, at the college level, he proved the ability to swing to both tackle spots. He’ll have a solid mix of veterans to learn from and the Eagles have now drafted an offensive lineman on Day 2 of the draft three years in a row (Landon Dickerson, 2021 second round; Jurgens, 2022 second round). Nick Sirianni declined to offer any hints at the conclusion of Day 2, but Steen will likely have an opportunity to battle it out with Jurgens and others for the starting right guard spot left behind by Isaac Seumalo. At a minimum, Steen should provide the Eagles with added depth and versatility.

» READ MORE: Eagles rookie minicamp: Tyler Steen starts at guard, Jalen Carter in better shape, Sydney Brown ready to play