Over the next few weeks leading up to training camp, we’ll be counting down the top 25 most important Eagles for the 2025 season.
25. Andrew Mukuba
24. Jahan Dotson
23. Tanner McKee
22. Tyler Steen
Let’s see if Tyler Steen can keep his job this year.
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SIGN UP HERE Based on spring practices, it appears that Steen is ahead in the race to be the Eagles’ starting right guard in 2025. Of course, that looked like the case last year too. In 2024, Steen got the first-team reps in spring practices but when he suffered a minor ankle injury early in training camp, he was replaced by Mekhi Becton, who ended up starting the entire season between Cam Jurgens and Lane Johnson.
But Becton left in free agency to join the Los Angeles Chargers so that right guard spot is again up for grabs. And Steen is again getting the first crack at it.
“Steen has developed a lot,” Johnson said this spring. “I think when you look at him, he’s just a physically gifted dude, man. He’s a lot stronger than what he was when he first arrived. I think his playing strength is starting to show. I know he’s ready for camp to start. He’s just been putting in work. You’ve seen traits of him where he can be a dominating player so now it’s just about trying to do it every play.”
Since Brandon Brooks’ prime several years ago, Johnson has played next to a revolving door of right guards. The Eagles will likely listen to his input as the position battle for right guard plays out this summer.
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The other competitors are believed to be Matt Pryor and Kenyon Green. Johnson has previously played next to Pryor, who worked as the second-team right guard this spring.
“Yeah, again, just I know we talked yesterday too, don't have to make any of those decisions quite yet,” head coach Nick Sirianni said this spring about the right guard competition. “We have a lot of football to practice, a lot of football to play, and obviously a big part of the offensive line and the evaluation of the offensive line comes in pads. That doesn't mean we're not evaluating them like crazy right now, but a big part of that's going to come when we put the pads on.”
Steen, 24, was a third-round choice (65th overall) out of Alabama back in 2023 but has yet to take over as a full-time starter. In his first two NFL seasons, Steen has played in 28 games with 3 starts. As a rookie, Steen started one game as a right guard and it didn’t go very well. But Steen was better when called upon in his second season. He started two games in the regular season and started at left guard for the NFC Championship Game win over the Commanders.
While Steen (6-6, 321) performed well at times in 2024, he didn’t grade out very well, according to ProFootballFocus. Among the 77 qualified guards in the NFL last season, Steen ranked 75th. For reference, Green was 76th, Pryor was 21st in Chicago and Becton was 20th. But in the NFC Championship Game, Steen allowed just 2 hurries on 33 pass blocking snaps and filled in admirably.
No matter who wins the right guard competition, it figures to be the weakest link of one of the best offensive lines in football. The other four starters — Johnson, Jurgens, Landon Dickerson and Jordan Mailata — are all some of the best in the business. They just need Steen to be solid and the line should be excellent again.