For three years now, Dan Moore Jr. has held down the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting left tackle position. It is a position that is widely regarded as one of the most difficult to play. There is a reason that top-tier left tackles are now making $30 million per season. There aren’t that many people on the planet with the requisite size, length, athleticism, and the technique needed to succeed against the elite pass rushers in today’s NFL.
Initially thrust into the role as a rookie, Moore definitely took his lumps. But despite the Steelers challenging him with competition, Moore has continued to hold onto the starting job.
When the Steelers selected OT Troy Fautanu in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, many assumed that Fautanu and 2023 first-round OT Broderick Jones would be the starting tackles to start the season. That is seeming less and less likely.
“Dan Moore Jr., everyone wants to discount him, ‘Oh we’ve got these two tackles, pedigree, all this stuff.’ You haven’t heard one thing about Dan Moore Jr. this offseason. He does the job; I don’t think he’s given up a sack,” former Steelers DL Chris Hoke said via KDKA’s Nightly Sports Call. “Why are we always discounting this guy being a player?
“This guy’s done nothing but gotten better. Yeah, he made mistakes as a rookie. Yeah, he did things. Look at Broderick Jones. This guy I think is a starting left tackle in the NFL. A first-round draft [pick] came in, never beat him out, had to go to the right side to play. Let’s give this guy some kudos because I think Dan Moore Jr. every single time has risen to the top and showed that he’s an NFL starting left tackle.”
Despite being drafted as a left tackle, Jones found his starting role on the right side as a rookie, replacing Chukwuma Okorafor instead of Moore. Jones has played both sides throughout training camp, but Moore has been a mainstay on the left side still.
Moore showed solid improvement in Year 2 after a rough rookie season, especially as a pass blocker. Pro Football Focus gave him a 58.9 pass-blocking grade in 2021 with a solid improvement to 67.3 in 2022. The issue is, he regressed a bit in 2023. He had some really bad games against the Cleveland Browns and one against the San Francisco 49ers that brought his average down, but Myles Garrett and Nick Bosa will do that to you.
That being said, his 2024 preseason has been superb. He has allowed zero sacks or pressures, and his technique has looked the best between him, Fautanu, and Jones. I wrote yesterday that he has been the most consistent tackle on the team this preseason. The bar is pretty low with Fautanu’s struggles in his sole preseason game before injury and Jones’ issues over the first two weeks, but that doesn’t diminish how good Moore has looked.
“The narrative is, ‘Oh he doesn’t have as high ceiling.’ Everyone keeps saying he’s going to make a ton of money when he leaves the Steelers next year,” Hoke said. “Well, that means he’s a good left tackle. Let him play and give him his credit. He’s done nothing but played well the last two seasons and done great this preseason.”
Hoke’s language is maybe a touch strong. Moore definitely had his 2023 struggles, but largely he has been serviceable. Especially for a former fourth-round pick.
Gerry Dulac reported that Troy Fautanu is expected to be the Week 1 starter at right tackle and that Jones and Moore would compete on the left side. He has since walked that report back, but if it ends up being true, Moore has outplayed Jones in the preseason. He deserves credit for that, and that is why he earned the starts at left tackle in each of the Steelers’ three preseason games.
