Potential Rams Draft Target Has a Believer in AFC Executive

If the Los Angeles Rams focus on bolstering their offensive line with one of their first picks in the draft, Tyler Steen out of Alabama could be waiting for them in the third round.

But Steen, a projected third-rounder, is a candidate for being taken higher than that by OL-starved teams, one AFC personnel executive told Heavy Sports’ Matt Lombardo.

“Tyler would definitely be a total first-round surprise,” the executive told Lombardo on April 19. “He has guard and tackle versatility, scored high on all the psych tests. Since there are almost no quality offensive linemen in this draft, he and a bunch of them will be over-drafted.”

A lot can happen during the draft, but Steen, who is 6-foot-6 and 321 pounds, is projected will fall in the 90s selections. The Rams have two third-round picks, No. 69 and No. 77, and don’t pick again until the fourth round.

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Tyler Steen Allowed Only 2 Sacks in 2022

Steen, a dominating trench man in the Southeastern Conference, was dependable and “effective at blocking [QB Bryce] Young’s blindside,” according to Christopher Walsh of Sports Illustrated. During his senior year, he allowed only two sacks and only two quarterback hits, according to Pro Football Focus.

Finding players who can protect quarterback Matthew Stafford, a pocket passer, is an area of needs for the Rams, who were third in the league in sacks allowed.

Lombardo projected Steen, who was a four-year starter at Alabama after transferring from Vanderbilt, as a player with “the ability to stay at tackle or slide to the interior.”

Walsh agreed with that assessment, saying Steen would likely be drafted “at another position.”

“He’s 6-foot 6, but is not the big, physically imposing lineman that most NFL teams want at [left tackle],” Walsh wrote. “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.”

And NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote that Steen is “a vertical pass-setter who plays with good awareness to twists and blitzes. Steen uses length and hand resets to extend his mirroring.”

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How Low Could Tyler Steen Go?

Dane Brugler of The Athletic projected that Steen would go before the 100th selection, suggesting in his April 17 mock draft that he would fall to the Cincinnati Bengals with the 92nd pick, after the Rams’ 69th and 77th picks.

Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports projected in his April 19 mock draft that Steen would be selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 80th pick.

Meanwhile, another team that doesn’t pick until the third round is the rival San Francisco 49ers. NBC Sports Bay Area 49ers insider and columnist Jennifer Lee Chan wrote that Steen was also a potential option for the 49ers.

“Steen might not be ready to start in Week 1 of the 2023 season but could be a developmental addition to the 49ers’ offensive line room,” she wrote.

He’s also been linked to the Washington Commanders, who hosted him on April 14, as well as to the New York Jets, Cleveland Browns, New Patriots and to the Chicago Bears.

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