2023 NFL Draft: Tyler Steen Scouting Report

Tyler Steen began his collegiate career at Vanderbilt in 2018. Steen played in four games for the Commodores on the defensive side of the ball, recording one tackle. The following season, he flipped to the offensive side of the ball, starting all 12 games for Vandy at right tackle. During the 2020 Covid-19 shortened season, Steen started at left tackle for all nine of the Commodores games. In 2021, Steen concluded his football career in Nashville, once again, starting all 12 games at left tackle. After the 2021 season, Steen entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer. He transferred to the University of Alabama for his final season of college football. Steen started all 13 games at left tackle for the Crimson Tide, earning All-SEC Second Team, honors.

Strengths

Has exceptional lateral explosiveness and footwork;

Durable; played in 46/51 games over his entire college career;

Has a powerful and jarring first punch;

Quickly and efficiently gets hands-on and inside opponent’s numbers;

Quick hands and arms allow him to continuously punch and jar opponents for play duration.

Weaknesses

Does not maintain his balance over his center of gravity; leads to reaching and instability;

First step out of stance is up, not forward;

Has difficulty blocking second-level opponents;

Below average run blocking ability;

Has difficulty with rushers to the inside.

NFL Comparison: Morgan Moses

Projection: Rounds 4-5

Bottom Line on Tyler Steen

Tyler Steen is going to be a prospect that teams who pass the ball, more often than running it, will be extremely intrigued by. His upside is pretty impressive, considering he began his college career on the defensive side of the ball and was able to not only transition to offense but also cemented himself as a starting tackle. There is no question about his toughness and durability – 46/51 games played speaks for itself. His quick and powerful punches jar opponents and he has the explosiveness and footwork to be a key asset in the passing game especially. He has the ability to get his hands on his opponent’s chest, inside the numbers, which other prospects in the draft, have difficulty with. Once engaged with a defender, he has quick arms and hands to continually punch opponent, continuously jarring them, which over the course of a game, will wear an opponent down. On the flip side, he has difficulty taking on second-level defenders and is not the greatest run-blocking tackle, often getting beat to his inside. He will need to increase his lower body and core muscle strength, as his first step out of his stance is up-right and not straight ahead/forward, as it should be. Look for Steen to be taken by a pass-happy team in either round four or five.