Barrett Brooks breaks down Kenyon Green, the guard the Eagles received in return for CJGJ. Can the young offensive lineman beat out Tyler Steen for a starting job?
Kenyon Green knows he wasn’t good enough during his time with the Houston Texans, and he knows he won’t last long with the Eagles if that doesn’t change.
Green spoke Thursday about his disappointing first few NFL seasons and the trade Wednesday that brought him to the Eagles.
How did he go from an All-America at Texas A&M to a 1st-round bust with the Texans?
“I can’t really just pinpoint one thing that didn't go my way,” he said.
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Green, the 15th player taken in the 2022 draft, was the lowest-rated guard by Pro Football Focus in both 2022 and 2024. He missed the 2023 season with a shoulder injury.
“I mean, it was lessons every day and every game,” he said. “It was on me at times and I’m just making sure that I need to be prepared and making sure that everything lines up with my health and my confidence in my game and just being a better player in general.”
Why is he here?
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Depending what happens with Mekhi Becton, he could wind up competing with Tyler Steen for the starting right guard job. Or he could wind up as a backup. Or he could be looking for a new team at the end of training camp. It all depends how hard he works, how well he takes to Jeff Stoutland’s tough coaching and how much he improves from the Houston Texans version.
Where does he need to get better?
“Just more detailed (with) things in my technique, so just working on that,” he said. “Just becoming a full, complete, professional offensive lineman, just with everything. Having certain traits and not building on those can really jeopardize your career or jeopardize the way you play. So right now I'm just trying to make sure I do everything I can to (improve).”
Green is only 23 and he seems to be the kind of reclamation project Stoutland likes working with. And in some ways, he has a lot in common with Becton, another 1st-round bust with his original team. But Becton was a much better player with the Jets than Green was with the Texans. And even Stoutland doesn’t have a perfect track record. Although he’s pretty close.
But if anybody can get Green's career on track, it's Stoutland.
Green spent some time with Stoutland during the 2022 pre-draft process and said he can't wait to start working with the Eagles' offensive line miracle worker.
“Man, just great conversation, a great man,” he said. “I know that he loves his players. I'm going to give them everything I have.”
Green had a top 30 visit with the Eagles three years ago, so he was in the NovaCare Complex that spring and spent time with Stoutland, Nick Sirianni and Howie Roseman.
He said that experience gave him a good sense of what the Eagles are all about as an organization and it gave the Eagles a good sense of what Green is all about.
“Just the culture, from the owner to the head coach, just the culture here is unbelievable,” he said. “It's time to work. I really don't have a lot to say. I'm just blessed. Just a grateful young man that I'm here right now and I have this opportunity.
“Definitely, I feel like this is a breath of fresh air. New surroundings, new people to meet. A different atmosphere. I'm extremely grateful for what the Texans have done for me. Unfortunately, it didn't go the way that I wanted it to. But I'm excited and I'm happy that I'm here with the Eagles.”
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