Eagles pick Alabama OL Tyler Steen with first 3rd-round pick
With the 65th pick in the draft their first of back-to-back picks early in the third round the Eagles on Friday evening selected Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Steen.
They selected Illinois defensive back Sydney Brown one pick later.
Steen is another young lineman for legendary offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, the third o-lineman the Eagles have drafted in the first three rounds in the last three drafts.
They picked Alabamas Landon Dickerson in the second round in 2021 and he made the Pro Bowl as a starting left guard this past year, and they picked Cam Jurgens last year in the second round out of Nebraska. He projects as the starting center whenever Jason Kelce retires.
Although hes been a tackle at both his college stops, Steen could wind up playing guard on the NFL level and could wind up replacing Jurgens at right guard when Jurgens moves to center.
He’s a very athletic guy, Alabama coach Nick Saban said of Steen in an SI.com story. He’s got really good power for his size and is a good pass blocker. Very smart guy. Understands how to play fundamentally, use his hands, and has played pretty consistently for us.
In the last four drafts, the Eagles have drafted four players out of Georgia in the first three rounds and four players out of Alabama in the first three rounds, although one of them Jalen Hurts finished at Oklahoma.
Steen, who stands 6-foot-5, 320 pounds, only played one year at Alabama after beginning his college football career at Vanderbilt. He actually started out at Vanderbilt as a defensive end and played four games in the fall of 2018 on the defensive line.
He moved to right tackle the next year and then settled in at left tackle in his third season, earning all-SEC honors both years.
After transferring to Alabama as a grad transfer, he started last year at left tackle.
The Eagles needed to address offensive line depth after losing starting guard Isaac Seumalo to the Steelers in free agency and Andre Dillard to the Titans without attempting to re-sign either one.
That left the Eagles with Sua Opeta and Jack Driscoll as their only true experienced backup offensive linemen.
