With the 2023 NFL Draft over, it’s time for some film rooms on the Philadelphia Eagles’ rookie class. I will try and get to all the players and some UDFAs over the next few weeks. There are loads of scouting reports that will obviously say very similar things, so I have tried to include film clips to back up everything and I will talk about the player’s fit with the Eagles at the end of the piece. I watched the all22 on several rookies, but I can’t share those clips on my own Twitter accounts (or I risk getting blocked), so I’ve used a few other accounts here. Let’s go!

PREVIOUSLY IN THIS SERIES: Jalen Carter review | Nolan Smith review

Strengths

+ Has good size, and frame, and is a really good athlete.

+ Very durable and versatile. He has played right tackle and left tackle over the past 4 seasons and hasn’t missed a single game.

+ He has good recovery skills if he is beaten off the snap.

+ He doesn’t dominate in the run game, but he has enough play strength to create movement.

+ Very quick off the snap, which enables him to deal with outside edge rushers despite his limited length.

+ Active hands in pass protection which enable him to prevent defensive linemen from getting their hands on his chest. This is especially important when you have shorter arms.

+ Excellent feel for free rushers, spacing, and angles. Feels like a pretty intelligent player who rarely gets caught out.

+ When his technique is good his anchor looks pretty solid.

+ He’s not going to compare with Cam Jurgens in terms of movement in space (who is?) but he moves well enough in space and looks a fluid athlete.

Weaknesses

- Pass protection against bull rushes needs work. His anchor is inconsistent and gets pushed back into the lap of the QB too much.

- He lunges forward too often and ends up off balance which is an issue.

- Holding was a problem last year. When he gets beat he can be quite grabby.

- Doesn’t show any ‘elite’ natural power or force in the run game.

- Doesn’t have the best arm length to play tackle at the next level. You can see he overcompensates for this when he drops into his pass set and it makes him vulnerable to inside moves.

- May project as a guard at the next level, due to arm length, but has never taken a snap inside in college.

Overall

This is a kind of tough evaluation. There were times I really liked his tape and thought to myself that he could be a starting tackle, and then I would watch a couple of plays that made me almost certain he was a guard.

The biggest issue I have is... 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...

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.

I think there is a reasonably good chance he will start Week 1 at guard. If I had to bet on one of Steen and Cam Jurgens, I think I would give the edge to Steen because of his size. I do not think he is perfect by any means, but I think he should end up a solid pick at the start of the 3rd round. Who doesn’t trust Jeff Stoutland to develop an athletic offensive lineman?