Eagles Turn to Offense, Then Defense in Back-to-Back Picks on Day 2 of NFL Draft

The Philadelphia Eagles had back-to-back picks after a trade and selected Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Steen then Illinois safety Sydney Brown

PHILADELPHIA – At last, the Philadelphia Eagles took an offensive player.

A day after taking two defensive players from the University of Georgia - Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith - in the opening round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Eagles turned back to another powerhouse SEC school, selecting University of Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Steen in the third round, the 65th player taken overall. 

It was a brief respite from taking defensive players, because Philly turned back to that side of the ball with their very next pick, and chose safety Sydney Brown from the University of Illinois at No. 66.

The Eagles had back-to-back picks because of a trade they made with the Houston Texans, sending their second-round pick, No. 62, for a third (65), a sixth (188), and a seventh (230).

Originally scheduled to make just two picks on the draft’s final day, Saturday, the Eagles will now make four selections, including three in the seventh and one in the sixth.

“We wanted to take a couple more shots (on Saturday),” said general manager Howie Roseman after Day 2 was in the books. “We were really trying to bring some good luck into it so we didn’t lose the two guys, but I thought for us to get a middle sixth-round pick and to get another shot in the seventh round, we want to take those shots.

"Those have been some high-upside shots for us when I think of some of the picks we’ve hit on in the sixth and seventh rounds.

“Just getting those shots, I think also gives our staff some juice when they walk in (Saturday) morning.”

Still on the clock when the Eagles went Steen and Brown were Georgia defensive back Kelee Ringo, Georgia tight end Darnell Washington, Tennessee receiver Jalin Hyatt, Houston receiver Tank Dell, Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders, and Texas A&M safety Antonio Johnson, among others.

Steen started his college career at Vanderbilt then transferred to Alabama.

He could be thrown into the guard mix, however, because he is considered a smart player who picks things up easily. He was also introduced as a guard when his name was called, and he played there during the Senior Bowl.

As a freshman at Vanderbilt, he played on the defensive line before switching to the other side of the ball.

“Just getting that experience on D-line was great,” said Steen on a call with Philly media late Friday night. 

“Just getting the experience SEC football early on exposed me to the physicality of the SEC, and I think just being exposed to that and having that experience helped me out on the offensive line just understanding how physical you have to be and the mentality you have to bring.”

Steen, who is 6-6 and 321 pounds, played both right and left tackle along the way, giving him the kind of versatility the Eagles like.

"We want to get him here and work with him and see what will happen next week at rookie minicamp," said head coach Nick Sirianni. "We think he has good flexibility and we feel he can play both positions."

An interesting note: His father, Daris, played football at LSU and is a retired Marine. Steen's late grandfather, Rodney M. Davis, posthumously received the Medal of Honor for jumping on a grenade to save his compatriots in the Vietnam War.

Brown was the heart and soul of the Illini defense. Considered a strong leader, he hails from London, Ontario.

The last time the Eagles took a safety this high in the draft was 2011 when they selected Temple’s Jaiquawn Jarrett in the second round, No. 54 overall.

Safety salaries have sky-rocketed since then, so the Eagles probably hope that Brown can develop into a cost-effective starter.

He was an All-Big Ten First-Team pick last year and made six interceptions and started 50 games for Illinois.

“When you look at Sydney, the way they used him at Illinois, they used him a lot around the box, he would blitz, he’d cover tight ends, he’d play in the run game so you kind of had a complete evaluation,” said Roseman. “Then the senior Bowl, they used the opportunity to see him being a post player, played in the deep half, played one-on-ones, and you saw the athleticism.

“I think that really helped complete our process. Sydney was a passion player for a lot of people in this organization.”

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Ed Kracz covers the Philadelphia Eagles for SI's EaglesToday.

Please follow him and our Eagles coverage on Twitter at @kracze.

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