Pittsburgh Steelers OL Dylan Cook has played with some highly-drafted offensive tackles during his three years in the NFL. While he was with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he shared an offensive line room with Tristan Wirfs. Wirfs was the 13th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. And now that Cook is in Pittsburgh, he’s spent time with first-round picks Broderick Jones and Troy Fautanu. But if you ask Cook who has left a major impression on him, another name comes up. Cook is a huge fan of Steelers LT Dan Moore Jr.
“He’s not too liked in Pittsburgh, but I think he’s a heck of a player,” Cook said in an interview with his former Montana teammate Samuel Akem published on Sunday. “I think he’s one of the best tackles I’ve been around. Just so professional ’cause every year, they’ve drafted another tackle to take his spot, and he has yet to give it up. I told him straight-up the other day, I was like, ‘The way you’ve handled this is, I’m over here writing notes.’ Because it’s, the professionalism is through the roof. And he comes in every day, he gets his work in, he’s vocal, and he leaves. he doesn’t pay attention to BS. And, like I said earlier, he controls what he can. That’s all he worries about.”
Cook isn’t wrong. It’s not like the Steelers have kept it a secret, either. They traded up in the 2023 NFL Draft to take Broderick Jones 14th overall. Then they took Fautanu 20th overall in 2024 to give them the bookend tackles of the future.
And yes, Fautanu hurt his knee in the first preseason game. But who started that game? Dan Moore Jr. was at left tackle, and Fautanu was on the right. Jones did not start. When Jones started the second preseason game because of Fautanu’s injury, he struggled badly, giving up two sacks to Buffalo Bills DE Greg Rousseau.
The heir apparent in Jones was not atop the depth chart despite Moore’s struggles in 2023. In fact, through preseason, Moore was one of the best pass-protecting tackles across the league, per Pro Football Reference.
That speaks to exactly what Cook had to say. Moore kept his head down, worked hard, and is still standing tall at left tackle. Now, Jones did start the season at right tackle, the position he played largely in 2023. But Fautanu’s injury is a big part of that situation. What happens when Fautanu is healthy is anyone’s guess at this point.
But what is for sure is that Moore isn’t going to go quietly into the night as the starter. Head coach Mike Tomlin praised him before the start of the season, saying that Moore “has continually gotten better” in the face of new competition.
That approach has certainly impressed Cook. Whether that approach will keep Moore in the starting lineup in the future is to be determined, but Moore is doing a good job, and people are taking notice.
You can watch the entire interview with Cook below:
