Ahead of the 2024 season, much of the attention regarding the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line focused on second-year pro Broderick Jones and rookie Troy Fautanu at the tackle positions.
Dan Moore Jr., fourth-year pro and long-time starter? Well, he was more of a supporting role, a guy many would have liked to say goodbye to.
But throughout the training camp and the first two preseason games, Moore was pretty stable and reliable, whereas Jones had big problems and Fautanu is now injured.
Former Steelers offensive lineman Trai Essex, who appeared on the “Chipped Ham and Football” podcast with Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, believes Moore doesn’t get enough credit for the work he did in the offseason and the progress he made.
“Good old Dan Moore Jr. has beaten every challenger so far in his career,” Essex told Batko of Moore, according to a video on the Post-Gazette’s YouTube page. “Fourth-round pick out of Texas (A&M). This is a big year for him. Contract year, whether he’s in Pittsburgh next year or auditioning for another team, you can tell he’s worked hard in the offseason to get better and people don’t give him enough credit for what he’s put on tape.”
“Week after week and also in training he had a really good camp.”
Since joining the Steelers as a fourth-round pick out of Texas A&M in the 2021 NFL Draft, Moore has held onto his starting left tackle spot for the Black and Gold. How he got to that role was quite a rollercoaster, thanks to an injury to Zach Banner in training camp that led to former tackle Chukwuma Okorafor moving back to the right tackle position and Moore filling in at left tackle.
After Banner’s injury, Moore started 49 of a possible 50 games at left tackle. He missed just one last season, when Broderick Jones started at left tackle in week five against the Baltimore Ravens.
During that time, Moore certainly had his problems. Last season alone, Moore was named the worst pass-blocking tackle in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus ratings. In his first three NFL seasons, Moore allowed 140 pressures and 22 sacks, numbers that are extremely concerning overall.
But year after year he’s there at left tackle. The reason for that remains largely a mystery. The Steelers respect and value his availability and like him as a run blocker. His work as a pass-stopper, however, is a real problem.
So far this preseason, however, Moore has been one of the best pass blockers in football.
No, seriously.
Moore ranks 7th in the NFL in pass defense (minimum 20 snaps) and receives an overall grade of 85.7 from PFF in that area of his game. He’s been pretty solid in that regard so far, but of course it’s worth pointing out that he should be considering this is preseason and it’s not a new environment for him.
But, as Essex said, Moore has worked hard again this offseason to get better. He knew what was at stake, not just in Pittsburgh but in the NFL. And he has responded well to the Steelers drafting another tackle in the first round, both on and off the field.
He quietly lets his game speak for itself. This has put him in a good position overall. This speaks volumes for Moore as a professional, something that many would not give him credit for.
You can watch the full episode of “Chipped Ham and Football” featuring Batko and Essex below.
