Jets 1st-round selection Will McDonald says Eagles rookie was his toughest matchup

It has been almost two weeks since we watched Philadelphia Eagles Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman bang the gavel after piecing together an impressive seven-man draft class. The smiles are just as broad now as they were when those picks were first announced. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, good old Howie did us another solid. He added another impressive crop of rookie undrafted free agents. The word we keep hearing is ‘value’.

Think about a few things for a second or two. Had the Philadelphia Eagles taken Nolan Smith at ten, there’s a large portion of this fan base that wouldn’t have batted an eyelash. In theory, landing someone with Smith’s ability would have to be seen as a huge win. His pre-draft comp was Haason Reddick for goodness sake.

With that being said, how impressive is it that the Birds added Smith at the 30th selection? That’s a nice feather in the cap, huh? How on Planet Earth did they land Eli Ricks and guys like Joseph Ngata as undrafted rookie free agents? And, don’t you, for a second, forget about the rest of this draft class.

Sydney Brown is a stud! Don’t be shocked if Moro Ojomo proves to be better than your average seventh-round draft choice. He has a motor, and Howie has been known to pick up nice additions on Day 3. Oh, and how about this Tyler Steen fellow? He had a solid NCAA career, and a 2023 first-round selection sang his praises recently.

Jets first-round draft choice Will McDonald mentions Eagles rookie Tyler Steen as the toughest matchup that he has faced recently.

Tyler Steen has been on a few pro radars for a while, but some of his recent buzz follows an impressive showing during the 2022 NCAA football season after he transferred from Vanderbilt to play with the mighty Alabama Crimson Tide. The Eagles made him the 65th overall selection at the top of the draft’s third round. Some draft pundits had given him second-round grades. Again, Howie offers a masterclass on ‘value’.

The New York Jets selected edge rusher Will McDonald with the 15th overall selection. Some say they overvalued him, but everyone named him as one of the top five pass rushers in the 2023 draft class, so maybe there isn’t much to complain about.

Guess what Eagles fans? McDonald says Steen and Oklahoma’s Anton Harris were the toughest tackle that he’s had to line up against. They got to know each other well during Senior Bowl week.

Here’s McDonald’s take.

Here are Will McDonald AND Tyler Steen having a little fun in Mobile Alabama.

Perhaps the best comparison that we have heard made involving Tyler Steen includes the mention of Mike McGlinchey, a former first-round selection and Pennsylvania native. McGlinchey made the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie Team in 2018.

Steen isn’t completely polished by any means. During his final run at the collegiate level, he allowed 16 QB hurries, two quarterback hits, and two sacks on 788 snaps, but that’s okay. Fans have to get out of the mindset that these guys are machines but think about it.

With Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson as teammates, and with guys like Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson to learn from, is there any better position for this young man to be in than landing in the City of Brotherly Love and attending Jeff Stoutland University? Frankly, we honestly can’t think of one.

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