Philadelphia Eagles’ position battle at right guard might already be over

Ryan OLeary

Philadelphia Eagles’ position battle at right guard might already be over image

The Philadelphia Eagles boasted the top offensive line in football during their 2024 Super Bowl run, and a big reason was the addition of free agent Mekhi Becton.

After flaming out as a first-round left tackle with the New York Jets, Becton thrived in a move to right guard under the tutelage of O-line coach Jeff Stoutland. He won the job from Tyler Steen rather quickly during training camp last summer and wound up starting 19 games at that spot for the Eagles, including SBLIX.

With Becton now in Los Angeles with Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers, the Eagles are once again expected to hold a training camp battle at right guard. There’s been a clear frontrunner through OTAs and mandatory minicamp, though, and Eagles insider Anthony DiBona believes the competition may already be over.

Steen, a third-year pro and former third-round pick of Philly in 2023, appears locked in with the Eagles' starters, with new addition Kenyon Green and 2024 draft pick Trevor Keegan in the rear-view mirror, at least entering training camp.

“After failing to win the starting job at right guard in each of his first two seasons, Steen is expected to compete for the job once again in 2025,” DiBona wrote. “Yet this time it looks like there isn’t much of a competition as Steen dominated the first-team reps at right guard during OTAs. Steen was the only player to take reps at right guard with the starting offense during team drills and it’s clearly his job to lose right now.”

Green, the former first-round pick of the Houston Texans who was acquired in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson trade this offseason, has been working with the second- and third-team units this spring. Perhaps most surprising? Green has been working at left guard, a spot with zero opportunity for reps outside of an injury to Landon Dickerson.

Steen played extremely well in relief of Becton during Philly’s Week 3 win over the New Orleans Saints last season, and he was called upon for 71 snaps at left guard in the NFC Championship Game with Dickerson needed at center. His performance overall has been a mixed bag at best, however, over his first two seasons as a pro.

Nevertheless, Philly’s right guard job appears to be Steen’s to lose entering training camp.

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Ryan OLeary

Ryan O'Leary has spent his entire professional career in sports multimedia, working as journalist, editor, podcaster, and in live events as a content manager and show emcee. His career highlights include working as a podcast host and audio editor for USA TODAY Sports Media Group, where he led a series of NFL podcasts for the company’s top-performing NFL sites. A born and raised New Englander, Ryan’s career kicked-off in newspapers after graduating from the University of New Hampshire with a degree in journalism. He developed an affinity for small-town youth, high school and college sports, while also realizing his childhood dream of covering the Patriots in multiple AFC Championship Games. Ryan enjoys kicking it with family and friends, beating his dad and brother in chess, and arguing with anyone crazy enough to insist that Tom Brady isn’t the GOAT.