Alabama Crimson Tide left tackle Tyler Steen was once considered a first round talent. Maybe that was just because of the reputation Alabama offensive line have, and it was easy for mock drafters to say, “I dunno, put the guy replacing Evan Neal on the mock…” I don’t know. But, once the 2022 season actually started, Steen’s stock continually dropped. I still see him in the back end of the first round of a mock from time to time, but the general consensus seems to be pointing “Day 2” as of late. But, when I look at some of the questions surrounding the other offensive tackles in this class, and I look at Steen’s body of work, I can’t help but wonder, “why not Steen?” Is he really so far behind guys like Dawand Jones and Jaelyn Duncan? I mean, maybe….shit, I could always be wrong. But, when I see Steen, I see an all-around skill set that gives him a higher floor than he’s being given credit for.
That all-around skill set was on display at Hancock Whitney Stadium on Day 1 of the 2023 Senior Bowl practice. While Zach Lyons, my partner in crime (and lotion) this week, was watching the pass catchers, I was watching the offensive linemen, as we divvied up the two biggest needs for the Tennessee Titans between us to hone in our focus to provide you more thorough analysis because that’s what we do as serious journalists. Nonetheless, I’m looking for a value at left tackle for this team, and I see Steen as a potential answer.
The first thing you notice about the dude in person is how big he is. Steen clocked in at 6’5″ and 325 pounds. This is a grown ass man we’re talking about here, but he moves so well for a man of his size and stature. Watching the offensive line drills, during which it’s OL vs OL, he showed a nice first step and initial burst into getting set. He looked way more explosive than I remembered him to be.
When they paired up with the defensive line, he had a good rep getting his hands low to create leverage. I know that’s been a criticism of his that I’ve seen floating around – that he gets his hands too high at times, so that was encouraging to see. Steen played with what I thought was pretty good technique overall. He also put a dude in the fucking dirt at one point, so RIP to that dude.
Things move so quickly at this event that it’s hard to keep up with at time. So, I can’t remember the defender on this play for sure, but I think it just might’ve been one of the Knoxville boys who lined up over Steen, tried to hit him with a spin move, but Steen just side-stepped quickly and got into position to stonewall the guy.
During the 11 on 11 session, Steen showed some good drive in the run game on several plays, keeping his feet moving to push defenders back and create yardage for his running back. He also had a great pass set getting wide in a bound or two to force the pass rush outside and away from the play. On another play, I made note of his nice hands and how he kept his defender in control. Zach caught a video of him that may or may not be on my Twitter by the time this article is published where he bit hard on an outside fake, only for the pass rusher to move inside and beat him badly. That was a great example of some of the inconsistencies in diagnosis seen with Steen.
But, all in all, I saw a skillset that sure as hell looks like a starting left tackle in the NFL. If he continues to have a good week in Mobile, and he carries that momentum throughout the draft process, I would not be surprised to see him sneak back into the first round discussion. As for his potential fit with the Titans, he could come in and compete for the job right away, and would be a tremendous value for them if he does end up sliding into the middle rounds of the draft.
All Senior Bowl content is sponsored by Lyons Ford. They’re not your typical dealership! They will always give you every discount you qualify for, and give you you the most bang for your buck for your trade-in vehicle. You won’t regret doing business with them. Reach out to Zach on Twitter if you’re looking at getting a new or used vehicle.
In case you missed it, Zach Lyons of Stacking the Inbox, Football & Other F Words, and A Football Show on 440 Sports and I have made it down to Mobile, Alabama. We’re here to cover the 2023 Senior Bowl and all of the action that leads up to it. Catch our full recap of Day 1’s action on Football & Other F Words here.
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Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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