The Eagles started the day with a second-round pick and third-round pick within five selections of each other, and ended up with back-to-back picks in the third round and two later choices when all was said and done.
While on the clock at 62, the Birds dealt that pick to Houston for No. 65, No. 188 (sixth round), and No. 230 (seventh round), with the Texans moving up three spots to select Penn State center Juice Scruggs.
So, with back-to-back picks, the Birds selected Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Steen at No 65, and with the No. 66 pick they acquired Thursday from Arizona as the resolution to the Jonathan Gannon tampering case, they selected Illinois DB Sydney Brown.
Their second-round pick was set to be announced by Trent Cole, a fifth-round pick in 2005 who spent 10 of his 12 NFL seasons in Philly, but he ended up announcing both picks simultaneously.
Steen spent four years at Vanderbilt before transferring to Alabama as a graduate in 2022, and he started as a defensive lineman before moving to right tackle and then left tackle. He started 34 of 38 games played and was a two-time All-SEC selection before moving down I-65 to Tuscaloosa, where he was again a Second Team All-SEC selection.
The 6-foot-6, 321-pounder followed in his dad's footsteps, as father Daris played at LSU, and Tyler earned an NFL.com grade of 6.13, seen as a "good backup with the potential to develop into a starter."
His NFL.com Draft Profile says Steen is "a vertical pass-setter who plays with good awareness to twists and blitzes, and uses length and hand resets to extend his mirroring. 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."
As for Brown, he was a rare five-year starter for the Illini, and was consensus All-Big Ten and All-American in 2022 after notching 59 tackles (three for loss), a Big Ten-leading six interceptions, one sack, seven pass breakups, and one forced fumble.
Brown was, per PFF, the highest graded safety in the nation in man coverage with an 89.9 rating, and he finished his career with 319 tackles, 10 picks, and 26 passes defensed.
Stay tuned to 94WIP all weekend for reactions on the Eagles' draft selections!
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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