Tyler Steen

Pos: OT/IOL

School: Alabama

Ht. 6’6″ 

Wt. 321

Games Watched: Kansas State, Texas, Texas A&M

One Liner: Versatile offensive lineman who wins with functional strength, athleticism, and football IQ

Strengths: 

  • Very good functional strength. Steen packs a great punch against opposing rushers. He has strong arms that will throw off smaller rushers in their attempt to flatten, and he can disrupt finesse moves with aggression and power. He has a good lower body anchor to keep churning and hold up against defensive tackles in the run game when he looks for work.
  • Very good football IQ. Steen picks up stunts and twists exceptionally well and recognizes free blitzers in good time. Steen keeps his head on a swivel in pass pro, and is an aware football player who will always find work as a pass protector.
  • Very good athleticism. Steen moves really well for a player his size. He has great lateral agility and can protect as a left tackle out of vertical sets. His footwork flows smoothly and he has no problem moving diagonally out of his sets. If his punches don’t land, Steen’s footwork allows him to recover and make his way back into the chest of the rusher and neutralize the finesse move. Against the run, Steen moves well with lateral quickness as a swing blocker in gap schemes, as well as the downfield burst to find work in space. 

Weaknesses:

  • Adequate technique in pass protection/run blocking. In pass protection, Steen will need to improve his hand usage and placement. Oftentimes, he will be late to bring his arms up, leaving his chest open to finesse moves and bullrushes. His hands also tend to wrap around defenders, and in the process it allows speedy rushers to bend and flatten, escaping Steen’s grasp. Against the run, Steen takes wasted steps as a swing blocker which results in defenders occasionally beating him to the spot. 
  • Adequate balance. Steen often overcommitts as a run blocker and a pass blocker. He leans forward too much as he pushes his arms out front, and against the pass he is more of a hip bender rather than a knee bender, throwing off his pad level and making more susceptible to bullrushes. Steen will jump out towards ends too early and can end up leaking his gap as the tackle.

Overall Assessment: Tyler Steen is a versatile piece on the offensive line who brings great size and functional strength to the table. Steen is a smart, reliable offensive lineman who is a plus athlete that can move around fluidly in space. Steen has some technical issues he needs to fix, but I think he presents great upside, being able to play guard or tackle at the next level. If he corrects his hand technique and balance issues, Steen could be a good long term piece on an NFL offensive line. 

Scheme Fit: Scheme friendly guard who can operate as a tackle

Pick Projection: Top 64

Grade: 6.32