Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland is widely regarded as one of the best position coaches in the NFL. “Stout” has developed plenty of talent in Philadelphia, and he’ll have to live up to the hype again after Jason Kelce’s retirement.
On Monday, Stoutland offered his assessment of second-year offensive lineman Tyler Steen. Although Steen barely saw the field during his rookie season, Stoutland appears happy with the strides that the potential starting right guard has made this offseason.
Eagles OL Coach Jeff Stoutland Discusses Tyler Steen’s Growth
Despite being drafted by the Eagles in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Steen played just 71 total snaps as a rookie. Yet, Stoutland doesn’t seem concerned about Steen potentially starting at right guard in 2024.
Stoutland met with the media on Monday and discussed several topics, including Steen’s growth heading into his second year.
“I really like what he’s doing,” Stoutland said when asked to evaluate Steen. “I really like his stuff. I know this is individual stuff, but we demand quickness, effort, straining, and I’ve seen definite improvement in his strength and his power and his quickness, his ability to play with low hips.”
Eagles OL coach Jeff Stoutland says he’s been very impressed with Tyler Steen so far
Says Steen is quicker and stronger than he was last season pic.twitter.com/Wg74LLUO93
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) June 3, 2024
While Steen is the early favorite to win the starting job at right guard, he discussed his mentality regarding the position battle in May. Although Stoutland alluded to the fact that Steen is the front-runner for the job, the guard isn’t taking anything for granted.
“I know I’ve got to earn it every day,” Steen said. “I’m not going to be given anything. I’ve got to prove that I should be able to play. So that’s just kind of how I’m looking at it and how I’ll continue to look at it.”
Jeff Stoutland says the ideal offensive guard to him is Brandon Brooks
Stoutland says Tyler Steen has some similar physical qualities to Brooks
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) June 3, 2024
Stoutland elevated Steen’s praise to another level by mentioning a former fan favorite in Philadelphia, Brandon Brooks.
Brooks was a Pro Bowl guard for the Eagles who Stoutland believes is the prototype that he is constantly looking for at the position.
“I always look at Brandon Brooks,” Stoutland said when asked about his preferred skill set at guard. “That’s who you’re looking for. There ain’t many of them around.”
“So, in my mind, I compare other guards to him. Steen has a little bit of that. A lot of that, actually, Tyler does.”
Revisiting Steen’s Rookie Season in Philadelphia
There were some, including myself, who believed Steen should have started at right guard last season. That wasn’t the case, however, with second-year offensive lineman Cam Jurgens winning the job after seemingly running away with the spot during training camp.
Not only did Steen lose the “battle” to be the starting RG, but he was also rarely active during his rookie season. His 71 total snaps came from just four games.
Steen did receive a major opportunity in Week 9 last season against the Dallas Cowboys, getting his first career start at right guard. It was an inconsistent performance, but Steen showed flashes of the potential that Philadelphia saw in him.
“We won the game, so that was great,” Steen said in May when asked about his lone start last year. “But as far as individually, I was kind of a little disappointed. And I really just want to prove that I’m a better player than that. So that’s kind of what I want to focus on.”
While it’s certainly easy for a second-year player to be discouraged after a disappointing rookie season, that’s not the case with Steen. He appears to be doing and saying all of the right things heading into 2024.
Eagles’ Offensive Line Depth Chart
It’s hard to find a better offensive line room than what Stoutland is currently working with in Philadelphia. The Eagles have a seemingly perfect mix of proven veterans, intriguing young talent, and plenty of depth options as well.
Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Steen, and Lane Johnson are the current projected starters in Philadelphia. While Steen won’t publicly acknowledge that he’s the starter at right guard, it surely appears to be his job to lose.
Philadelphia has added three experienced starters behind the team’s starting line this offseason. Matt Hennessy, Mekhi Becton, and recently signed Max Scharping all have at least 20 career starts in the NFL.
The Eagles also selected two offensive linemen in the 2024 NFL Draft, adding Trevor Keegan and Dylan McMahon. Players such as Fred Johnson, Darian Kinnard, Brett Toth, Anim Dankwah, Jason Poe, and Gottlieb Ayedze will compete for spots on the final roster or practice squad in Philadelphia as well.