We’re getting close to Eagles training camp 2024 so we’re taking a look at some notable camp competitions.
Jason Kelce retired this offseason after a Hall of Fame career and now the Eagles will have to move on without him.
The first step is to move Cam Jurgens to the center position. The Eagles drafted Jurgens to be Kelce’s eventual replacement and his moment has finally arrived. But after Jurgens played right guard in 2023, his move opens up that spot.
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The Eagles have had a bunch of right guards since three-time Pro Bowler Brandon Brooks was in his prime and there’s a bit of a competition at the position again this summer, although there is a clear frontrunner.
Here are the candidates:
Tyler Steen
Age: 23
Experience: Year 2
Size: 6-6, 321
The frontrunner is Steen, who was a third-round pick out of Alabama last year. Some thought Steen would push to be a starter as a rookie but Jurgens was firmly entrenched and even when he missed time, it was veteran Sua Opeta who filled in. Steen started just one game as a rookie and it was against the Cowboys at home when Opeta was banged up. It was a disappointing performance that Steen said has motivated him this offseason. And with Jurgens at center and after Opeta left in free agency, it seems logical that Steen will be the next right guard. The Eagles even moved his locker into the starting right guard spot in the locker room, an indication that this is his job to lose. After playing tackle in college, Steen has worked on his strength to play guard. Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland praised Steen this offseason too.
NFL
Mekhi Becton
Age: 25
Experience: Year 5
Size: 6-7, 363
Becton is the guy who makes this competition intriguing. Earlier in his career, Becton was considered to be a left tackle-only player. But during the spring, he was taking reps at right tackle and at left guard with the Eagles. The former first-round pick, for now, appears to be the Eagles’ sixth offensive lineman but perhaps he can push for a starting gig. It’s a big ask for a guy to go from left tackle to right guard but Becton is more open to the idea of being versatile these days and this could be a chance to start. Sure, Becton would be just about the biggest guard you’ve ever seen but the Eagles like big guards.
Matt Hennessy
Age: 26
Experience: Year 5
Size: 6-4, 309
The veteran has experience at both center and guard during his NFL career. And while he might be the Eagles’ best option as a backup center, it was notable in the spring to see Hennessy lining up as the second-team right guard. That gave the appearance that Hennessy is the biggest threat to Steen for the position. Hennessy missed the entire 2023 season with a knee injury but he has started 22 games in his career.
Trevor Keegan
Age: 23
Experience: Rookie
Size: 6-5, 306
The fifth-round rookie was a three-year starter at Michigan but all but one of those starts came at left guard. The other was at left tackle. So Keegan has a ton of experience but it’s not easy to transition to the NFL and also switch sides. During the spring, Keegan was working as the third-team left guard before suffering a seemingly minor leg injury that kept him out of practice.
Max Scharping
Age: 27
Experience: Year 6
Size: 6-6, 325
The Eagles added Scharping on June 3 for some extra depth. The veteran interior lineman came in and began working with the third team. A second-round pick out of Northern Illinois back in 2019, Scharping has 33 starts in the NFL. He has played with the Texans and Bengals. His last regular season start came in 2021 but he was thrust into action for the Bengals’ playoff run in 2022.
Dylan McMahon
Age: 23
Experience: Rookie
Size: 6-3, 298
McMahon seems like a real longshot because he’s not even the most likely rookie to compete for this job. But we didn’t want to leave the sixth-round pick from North Carolina State off the list. He worked as the third-team center in the spring and his role appears to be a center-only right now.
Outlook
When asked about training camp battles, Stoutland seemed pretty clear that he’d prefer to just have the same five offensive linemen in there to get as many reps as possible — five-wheel drive, he called it. So it would take a couple of things for Steen to be unseated. One, he would have to really struggle. Two, another guy would have to be the clear-cut best option. It’s not crazy to think both might happen but for now it’s a bit unlikely.
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