It’s the Pittsburgh Steelers’ version of The Twilight Zone. There’s a world where Dan Moore Jr. is outclassing Broderick Jones. Despite the Steelers investing first-round picks in Jones and Troy Fautanu, Moore has been the team’s best offensive tackle this summer and preseason.
The eye test tells you that Fautanu struggled in his debut before suffering a knee injury. Jones has been a mess, a shell of his rookie year. Pro Football Focus grades align. Not only is Moore the best-graded Steelers’ tackle in pass protection, but he’s been one of the best through two preseason games.
Of offensive tackles who have logged at least 20 percent of their offense’s snaps this summer, Moore has the seventh-highest pass block grade of 85.7. Jones? He’s much further down the chart. Here’s how the Steelers’ tackles rank.
Steelers OT Pass Pro Rank (Minimum 20 percent offensive snaps)
7. Dan Moore Jr. – 85.7
80. Devery Hamilton – 65.0
95. Dylan Cook – 59.4
107. Troy Fautanu – 53.9
111. Broderick Jones – 52.5
As always, context is key. Sample sizes are small, and one bad rep can drag a grade down. Someone like Moore, a veteran with tons of NFL experience, is expected to hold his own in the preseason. Still, the contrast between him and everyone else expected to make the Steelers roster is stark, and the data is troubling, especially for someone like Jones.
If you’re wondering, the top pass protection mark is held by Green Bay Packers’ OT Andre Dillard with a 90.1 mark.
It creates a question of if Jones will even start the year. Reports indicate Fautanu should be healthy for Week 1 and serve as Pittsburgh’s starting right tackle, leaving one spot on the left side between Moore and Jones. If Jones can’t significantly improve his play, Moore could open against the Atlanta Falcons as the starting left tackle. At this point, it would be hard to disagree with that choice, as disappointing as it would be.
Last year, Moore held off Jones all summer despite many believing Jones would replace him as the starter. Moore even got his job back after missing a Week 5 game due to a knee injury. By season’s end, RT Chukwuma Okorafor was benched in Jones’s favor. With Fautanu added to the mix this year, it seemed unlikely for Moore to hold his starting spot. Yet again, he’s beating the odds.
