While as of right now Dan Moore Jr. is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting left tackle, he knows the writing is on the wall after the Steelers traded up in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft to grab tackle Broderick Jones. However, Moore doesn’t plan on rolling over and is prepared to work on the right side of the offensive line if needed.
Today, Moore met with the media and told Joe Rutter of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that despite the drafting of Jones he is doing everything he can do to get better because he can control that.
“What’s done is done,” More told reporters which Rutter wrote. “All I can do is focus on me and control what I can control, and that’s getting better every day.”
One of the things that Moore can control is getting comfortable on the right side of the offensive line. While it is not set in stone that Jones will overtake Moore as a starter this season, in the future he likely will. For Moore to keep his place as a Steeler it may be in his best interests to familiarize himself with right tackle. Rutter wrote that Moore is willing to work as the team’s swing tackle.
While Pittsburgh signed Le’Raven Clark to play swing tackle, that was before Jones was in the fold. If he does beat out Moore for the starting left tackle job, it’s likely that Moore would transition to swing tackle. He’s played almost every single snap at left tackle since being drafted in 2021, so it would be a little bit of adjustment to play on the right side, especially after he didn’t look great at the position during his first training camp. But he’s willing to do anything to help the team.
“I’ll just do what they tell me pretty much to do,” he said.
That kind of attitude will serve him well as he fights for a starting role not only this year, but also in the coming seasons. Chukwuma Okorafor’s contract is up after next season, and there’s always a chance that Moore could take over that spot in a few years if he impresses as the team’s swing tackle. While he has his faults, he’s improved a lot from his rookie and sophomore seasons. At only 24 years old he still has lots of time to continue to grow as a player and if the team wants to transition him to right tackle in the future he seems open to it.
How Moore would fare at right tackle is something that has yet to be seen, but he is clearly a hard worker and is open to switching sides. Don’t be too surprised if some time down the line the two starting tackles for the Pittsburgh Steelers are Broderick Jones and Dan Moore Jr.
