When the Pittsburgh Steelers selected OT Broderick Jones in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the writing was on the wall that LT Dan Moore Jr would be in for a position battle this summer.
Moore had progressed gradually after getting thrown into the fire as a fourth-round pick back in 2021, but still was the punchline for many fans who lacked patience with Moore struggling to adjusting to NFL competition.
Fast forward through the summer, and Moore won the starting left tackle job over Jones rather convincingly. He took most of the first-team snaps in training camp practices and was featured there during preseason action, showing improvement in pass protection as well as a run blocker. Still, when asked if he’s been able to take a sigh of relief after securing the starting job at the blindside for a third-straight season, Moore said that he’s not taking any victory laps with the regular season finally here.
“Not really,” Moore told the media Monday via video from Steelers.com. “You got guys like these across from you that you gotta focus on. So, not really time to pat myself on the back. It’s more so now the real work begins.”
Moore may have held off Jones for the starting job to open the season, but now he must perform at a high level to stay there for the duration of the regular season. Jones only started 19 games in college, coming into the NFL rather raw when it comes to his technique and execution. Moore, on the other hand, has been Pittsburgh’s starter at left tackle since 2021, having started all 33 regular-season games he’s played in. He had more experience and development than Jones coming into training camp, giving him an edge over the rookie.
However, given the draft capital that Pittsburgh invested in Jones, there will be a push to get him on the field soon if Moore starts to struggle. Therefore, Moore can’t take it easy knowing he won the job out of the preseason as he can lose his starting job at any point if his play starts to fall off. He’s got a tough test awaiting him to start the season, potentially facing the likes of Nick Bosa, Myles Garrett, and Maxx Crosby his first three games if Bosa does indeed play Sunday.
Moore has the right mindset going into the regular-season opener. The preseason is over. He won the starting job. He can enjoy that for a split second, but now it’s back to business. The priority for Moore now is not that he won the starting job, but to keep his job by protecting QB Kenny Pickett and helping this rush attack flourish.
