An area of emphasis this past offseason for the Pittsburgh Steelers centered on the offensive line as GM Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl completed the rebuild in the trenches.
The additions of rookies Troy Fautanu and Zach Frazier, as well as Mason McCormick, have strengthened the Steelers in the trenches, not only in the starting lineup, but on the depth chart as well.
Frazier is expected to be the Day 1 starter at center, while Fautanu is expected to eventually be the starting right tackle for the Steelers with second-year offensive tackle Broderick Jones moving back to his more natural left tackle position.
It might be a bit for Fautanu in the starting lineup though, at least according to The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly.
Appearing on 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show Monday, Kaboly stated that veteran offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr., who started 49 games at left tackle during the past three seasons, has the “inside track” to the starting job at right tackle for the Steelers.
“…I think it’s gonna be that wild card on the right tackle. I still think [Troy] Fautanu should be the guy and might end up being the guy, but I just look at Dan Moore and how much they like from Dan Moore, how much experience he has, how much it worked last year with bringing Broderick Jones along slowly,” Kaboly said of Moore when asked what the starting offensive line will be Week 1 against Atlanta. “Can’t get that out of my mind that they might go with him as in Dan Moore for a week or two or three weeks, or a month or so.
“…I’m going Dan Moore’s got the inside track of being that right tackle right now. But I would not definitely put any money on that ’cause I think that will be the battle for out at camp right there.”
Things haven’t gone all that well for Moore in the past. Last season, he graded out from Pro Football Focus as the worst pass-blocking offensive tackle in the league, which largely checked out on film. He allowed 55 pressures and 8 sacks, and took a significant step backward in pass protection overall.
Moore is a good athlete, but he plays with too high of a pad level and heavy feet, leading to him having issues with speed off the edge. To try and counter that, he tries to set deeper, and then it gives up the inside. He just has not found consistency as a pass protector, and it might cause him to be out of a job in 2024.
Though he had major issues in pass protection, Moore remained solid as a run blocker. He’s at his best when he’s attacking downhill, aiming to move defenders off of the spot. That’s his strength.
He has an edge to his game, so he fits what the Steelers want as a power-rushing attack. He graded out at a career-best 57.7 as a run blocker and really came on strong late in the season in that department. His work in the run game could be the reason he has a possible inside track to the starting job at right tackle to open the season.
The Steelers are aiming to “roll people” in 2024 in the ground game, and while Fautanu brings an edge and physicality to the table, Moore has been there, done that in the NFL. Giving Fautanu that time to adjust to the day-to-day schedule of being a pro in-season, getting his feet underneath him and fully grasping the playbook could do wonders for him, much like it did for Jones last season before he was inserted into the lineup.
It’ll be interesting to see how Moore transitions to right tackle in training camp. It’s a position he’s said in the past that he’s not all that comfortable playing, so it’s a tall task for him. But the Steelers do seem to like Moore a lot, and could give him a real shot at the position early in 2024, giving him that inside track that Kaboly believes he has.
