As soon as Troy Fautanu was selected with the No. 20 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, many assumed the clock on Dan Moore Jr.’s time as a starter in Pittsburgh had started ticking. Yet here we are entering Week 3, and Moore remains the starter with no real prospects of that changing anytime soon.
Most people would like to see the Steelers get a head start on the future configuration of the line with Broderick Jones on the left and Fautanu on the right, but Jones’ struggles and Moore’s progress this season have made that an impossible conclusion to come to.
According to Pro Football Focus, Moore is a top-10 tackle in the entire NFL through two weeks. I know many don’t subscribe to PFF’s grading methods, but there is really no denying if you watch his 2024 tape that he is having a solid season so far. It started in the preseason, and it has continued right into the regular season.
He has gone against some pretty solid edge rushers, too. Matt Judon’s impact in the Week 1 game against the Atlanta Falcons was limited. He had a sack, but that came against Jones on the other side. Moore’s Week 2 play was slightly worse, allowing one pressure and committing one penalty, but he still did a nice job against Baron Browning and Nik Bonitto.
Moore has a 78.6 overall grade for the 2024 season. That includes a 74.8 run-block grade, and a 77.5 pass-block grade. Considering his overall grade was a 51.8 in 2023, his improvement has been drastic. It is a good problem to have for the Steelers. Is it slowing down Broderick Jones’ development? You could argue that for sure, but Mike Tomlin and the Steelers are always focused solely on the present.
If Moore ends up having a great season and plays all 17 games, he will hit free agency at the right time and get a large contract elsewhere. That will play into the Steelers’ compensatory pick formula for the 2026 NFL Draft and could even net them as high as a third- or fourth-round pick in compensatory value.
