2023 NFL Draft Profile: Alabama Tackle Tyler Steen

BamaCentral is taking a long look at each of the Crimson Tide's 15 football prospects who could hear their names called during the 2023 NFL Draft in Kansas City on April 27-29.

Author:
Christopher Walsh
Publish date:
Apr 19, 2023 5:00 PM EDT

In this story:

Alabama Crimson Tide

When Alabama had an hole in its offensive line last season, Tyler Steen transferred after spending the 2018-21 seasons at Vanderbilt.

Dependability was his calling card with the Commodores, as Steen made 38 appearances after beginning his collegiate career as a defensive tackle. He played in four games there in 2018 and then switched over to be a right tackle in 2018. The switch to left tackle occurred in 2020.

The former St. Thomas Aquinas standout in South Florida stepped in and started all 13 games for the Crimson Tide en route to being named second-team All-SEC.

"He’s very smart, very intelligent," Bryce Young said.

"He’s a really good tackle, very powerful hands," linebacker Will Anderson Jr. said.

Run-blocking was thought to be Steen's forte, and he notched 25 knockdown blocks this past season, but he was just as effective in protecting Young's blindside.

Overall, the Alabama yielded just 12 sacks among offensive linemen (one every 36.5 attempts) and only 22 total sacks on the season across 504 dropbacks. It worked out to an average of 1.69 sacks per game, which was pretty impressive when factoring in the the Crimson Tide's schedule.

Specifically, Steen was credited with allowing 4.5 sacks, 12 pressures and eight quarterback hits while committing four penalties.

Alabama finished No. 4 in scoring offense (41.1 points per game), No. 11 in total offense (477.1 yards), No. 19 passing offense (281.6 yards) and No. 36 in rushing (195.5 yards) while averaging 5.55 yards per carry (which ranked fourth nationally).

Alabama Tackle Tyler Steen

NFL Combine/Workout Details

Tyler Steen makes his Alabama debut — Alabama Athletics

No. 54
Position: Offensive tackle
Height: 6060
Weight: 321
Hand: 1048
Arm: 3268
Wing: 8048
40: 5.25
DOB: 6/24/2000
Hometown: Miami, Fla.
High School: Saint Thomas Aquinas

Vertical Jump: 29.5’’
Broad Jump: 9’ 1’’
20-Yd Shuttle: 4.59 seconds
Bench Press: 31

What They're Saying About Tyler Steen

American defensive lineman Tavius Robinson of Ole Miss (92) practices with American offensive lineman Tyler Steen of Alabama (54) during the third day of Senior Bowl week at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile. — Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: "Steen began his career as a defensive tackle at Vanderbilt and ended it as a starting left tackle at Alabama. He’s a vertical pass-setter who plays with good awareness to twists and blitzes. Steen uses length and hand resets to extend his mirroring. He would benefit from better catch-and-clamp hands to limit secondary rush opportunities. He plays with hustle off the snap to find back-side positioning on zone blocks, but he needs to eliminate his forward lean in space to improve timing and adjustments at the second level. Steen has good size with average athleticism and is still fine-tuning technique. He could compete for a role as a swing backup early on but could find starting snaps in time."

NFL Draft Bible: "Thick trunk and legs that overpower his upper half. Fires off the ball on run plays, meeting defenders with fundamental knee bend and hand placement and playing long through his elbows. Capable of driving and finishing smaller players. Can bluff and shoot, finding linebackers. Will earhole second-level defenders and create gaps in the run game past the line of scrimmage. Consistent leg drive that pushed the pile. Able to wall off the backside, eliminating any pursuit or cutoff by edge players. Displays technique in his pass set both from a C angle and short set. Can kick-slide easily, gaining ground while maintaining posture and pocket width. Agile enough to run speed rushers around the hoop, maintaining pocket presence and room to step up for his quarterback. A cerebral player who eyes shifts and stunts, appropriately adjusting his technique.

"Not the tallest tackle, nor do his arms look overly long. Has ill-advised jump sets that lead blow by’s from edge players. Balance and leverage issues frequently show face, leaving him easily displaced. Could use sharper footwork in both his pass set and run blocking. Not a physically dominant player. Can have issues in his anchor and when combated with a bull rush. Counter moves or outside-in setups leave him stranded at times."

BamaCentral Analysis

Steen was underrated during his only season Alabama, where fans are used to the Crimson Tide having a massive Outland Trophy candidate at left tackle. He's 6-foot 6, but is not the big, physically imposing lineman that most NFL teams want at that position. He'll probably be drafted at another position, right tackle or guard depending on the team and scheme, and considered a backup option at left tackle. But teams love linemen with his versatility and football smarts.

Projection: Third round