When the Philadelphia Eagles gather for training camp next month for the countdown to the 2024 season, the right-guard spot seems to be Tyler Steen’s to lose.

Drafted in the third round from Alabama in 2023, Steen played 71 offensive snaps as a rookie, with 62 coming in his only start.

But during Philadelphia’s offseason program, Steen worked with the first-team offense, and Eagles offensive-line coach Jeff Stoutland noted his improvement.

“I’ve seen definite improvement in his strength, in his power, in his quickness, his ability to play with low hips,” Stoutland said. “I thought he played high last year. I think he’s put a lot of time in the weight room with our people here because I can see it.”

Steen played left tackle at Alabama, but his lone start as a rookie came at right guard in a 28-23 victory over the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 5.

The right-guard spot became open for the 2024 season when center Jason Kelce retired after 13 campaigns as Philadelphia’s center.

In 2023, Cam Jurgens started at right guard in 11 games, but he appears to be the frontrunner to fill the vacancy left by Kelce.

“Cam Jurgens was brought here two years ago for the reason of when Kelce does retire that we have a guy who we really identified as being a top-level center, in our opinion,” Stoutland said.

In the six games that Jurgens missed while injured last season, Sua Opeta started five times. On Nov. 5, neither Jurgens nor Opeta could play, so Steen went all the way at right guard against the Cowboys.

Opeta left the Eagles in free agency for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this offseason.

In the final three full seasons of his NFL career, Brandon Brooks earned Pro Bowl recognition as the Eagles’ right guard. But after injuries limited him to games in 2020 and 2021, Brooks retired.

Stoutland said he considers Brooks the epitome at the position and noted Steen has some of Brooks’ qualities.

“Brandon Brooks to me, that is who you’re looking for,” Stoutland said. “Ain’t many of them around. That’s who you’re looking for – size, length of arms, explosive power, all these things, low body flex. All these things are, like, all into one. It’s like, ‘Holy cow, how do you find these guys?’ And so you’re always comparing – in my mind, I’m comparing them to him.

“He has a little bit of that – a lot of that, actually, Tyler does.”

The rest of Philadelphia’s starting offensive line is in place with Jordan Mailata at left tackle, former Alabama All-American Landon Dickerson at left guard and Lane Johnson at right tackle.

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The Eagles have other candidates at right guard – Mekhi Becton, Matt Hennessy and Max Scharping.

The 11th selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, Becton started 16 games at tackle for the New York Jets in 2023. Hennessy missed the 2023 season, but he was the Atlanta Falcons’ starting center in 2021. A backup the past two seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Scharping is a former starter at left and right guard for the Houston Texans.

On their summer break now, the Eagles report for training camp on July 23.

Stoutland said he likes to get the starting unit in place as quickly as possible.

“Doesn’t this make sense?” Stoutland said. “To have the five — I call them the five-wheel drive — to have the guys together as much and as many reps as possible so they could synchronize everything. It’s hard when you’re rotating people in and out and trying to get that certain it factor. And so for me, I try really hard, unless there’s something that tells me, ‘No, you better get a good look at this or you might be making a mistake.’ Otherwise, I’m like, ‘Let’s go.’”

Philadelphia opens its three-game preseason schedule on Aug. 9 against the Baltimore Ravens and kicks off the regular season on Sept. 6 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, against the Green Bay Packers.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.