There will be at least a couple of battles in training camp for starting jobs, though it’s hard to say which will be more open than others. Perhaps none is more significant this offseason than the one emerging at left tackle between incumbent Dan Moore Jr. and rookie first-round pick Broderick Jones.
Having been brought in as a free agent this year to assume the left guard position, Isaac Seumalo is able to offer a bit of a unique perspective into how that is shaping up, since he is the one spending the most time working alongside the both of them and is able to compare and contrast between the two. He shared some of his thoughts last week on Movin’ the Chains with Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller.
“Both him and Dan have been really, really good this offseason, just in terms of improving every day and working on the little things”, he said. “That’s what OTAs is for, to work on your craft and to work out the kinks here and there and to get as much individual time [as possible]”.
Moore, a former fourth-round draft pick, is going into his third season as a pro, during which time he has started every game in which he has played. He fell into the starting job as a rookie following an injury situation that arose with projected right tackle Zach Banner, but he hasn’t been seriously challenged for his position until now.
And it’s a fierce challenge, one that he is expected to lose, certainly inevitably, bot not necessarily immediately. The challenger is Broderick Jones, the 14th-overall pick out of Georgia. While lacking in experience, he may one of the most physically gifted tackles to come out in the last few years, with among the highest upsides.
How quickly he can raise his game and take the mantle remains to be seen. Not even Seumalo knows that—he insisted the subject was above his pay grade—but he also shared his observations about what he’s seeing from the big rookie to his left.
“Broderick’s an outstanding athlete. He has all the tools, physically, mentally. He’s into it. He wants to learn and be a sponge”, he said. “With offensive line, it’s always tough. It’s very rare instances where you have guys come in and start right away. But I think Broderick definitely has the mental and physical makeup”.
The drafting of Jones marks the first time the Steelers used a first-round pick on an offensive tackle since 1996, so it’s been a long time coming. They have had some day-two tackles in the interim, most recently Chukwuma Okorafor, their starting right tackle, but they haven’t invested in this kind of talent in many years. It’s the kind of talent you’re more than happy to wait for because you know what the return is going to be once he is ready. You can see that even while he grows. Just ask Seumalo.
