Though it’s been obvious throughout the summer, Dan Moore Jr. will protect Kenny Pickett’s blindside Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. At his Tuesday press conference, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed to reporters that Moore will be the team’s left tackle in Week One. But he was quick to point out it was no slight against rookie Broderick Jones.
“I thought [Moore] played really well,” Tomlin said via the team’s YouTube channel. “I thought he showed the growth and maturation that that comes with the 1,000 or so snaps that he’s played over the last two years. So really comfortable there. Also really excited about what Broderick showed us. And we were very thoughtful about making sure that he got a lot of reps during the course of development, particularly in preseason stadiums, and liked the work that he did there.”
Drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Moore has started every game he’s played at left tackle. Thrown into the fire as a rookie, Pittsburgh had few other options to even consider the past two seasons. But the Steelers traded up to draft Jones in April, leading many to believe he would be the team’s Day One left tackle. Instead, throughout the summer, Moore consistently ran ahead of him and took roughly 95 percent of the first-team reps at left tackle; the other five percent came when he flipped over to first-team right tackle for a handful of snaps.
Jones, as Tomlin said, played a ton of snaps in the preseason to accelerate his learning curve. According to Pro Football Focus, Jones played 141 offensive snaps, more than any Steeler on offense or defense. It was also the highest number of snaps of any rookie first-round pick.
While Moore might not have the athleticism and physical tools that Jones possesses, he worked hard this summer to improve his game, drawing praise from OL Coach Pat Meyer. He got stronger and improved his technique and had a solid summer and preseason. Jones flashed but was more inconsistent and not as polished, looking like a rookie who started only 19 games in college. He’ll begin the year as the team’s backup left tackle.
Tomlin cautioned that just because Jones is starting the year on the bench, doesn’t mean he won’t have an impact on the team in the future. He drew a parallel to a former first-round pick who had to wait his turn.
“I know oftentimes depth charts produce stories, maybe what’s wrong with Broderick, etc. There’s nothing wrong with Broderick,” Tomlin said. “There was nothing wrong with Cam Heyward when he watched. If you have a good team, if you have people playing well, oftentimes it means young capable guys get an opportunity to watch as they grow and develop.”
For the first time in years, the Steelers have quality starters and depth along the offensive line, the result of several offseasons of rebuilding their front five. Tomlin added the team feels “comfortable” with its left tackle situation.
Moore will have tough tests out of the gate. He’ll face a stout San Francisco 49ers’ front in Week One, though reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa continues to hold out in search of a long-term deal. In Week Two, Moore will primarily see Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett, one of the league’s freakiest pass rushers. And in Week Three, he could see Las Vegas Raiders’ rookie Tyree Wilson, drafted seventh overall who definitely plays with power. Of course, there’s also Maxx Crosby but he’s primarily a left defensive end, meaning RT Chukwuma Okorafor will battle him most of the time.
