Pittsburgh Steelers: Dan Moore Jr. could see field sooner than later

One of the biggest issues for the Pittsburgh Steelers leading into this off-season was the status of their offensive line. The Steelers lost Maurkice Pouncey to retirement and potentially found his replacement in the third-round pick Kendrick Green. This week the Steelers lost another piece from their offensive line in Alejandro Villanueva, who signed with the Baltimore Ravens.

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected a left tackle in the 2021 NFL Draft in Dan Moore Jr. but he is seen more as a developmental project at the position. Could we see Moore get thrown into the fire earlier than expected or will they develop and see if he can grow before starting the tackle out of Texas A&M?

Dan Moore Jr. stands at 6-foot-5 and weighs around 315 pounds. He has long arms which help make him a solid pass protector on the left side. Moore’s pass sets showed a lot of consistency and used his size to lower pass rushers to the ground and push defenders outside the pocket.

Moore’s size and abilities fit well into the zone blocking scheme that Matt Canada will run next season. Moore did show some inconsistency in finishing run blocks with weak strikes but has all the right tools to be a solid pass blocker and work on his run game early in his career.

Now back to the question all Steelers fans want the answer to, who will be the starting left tackle next season? Last season, the Pittsburgh Steelers were confident in Zach Banner’s abilities to play on the right side of the offensive line. After Banner’s season-ending injury Week 1 against the Giants, Chukuma Okorafor stepped in on the right side and held his own.

With Okorafor showing good abilities in both the run and pass game, it seems like Okorafor will be kicked to the left side and Banner will get another shot at being the starting right tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers next season. Although many believed Villanueva would come back and Moore could develop behind him, that is simply not the case anymore. With Okorafor and Banner also being unfinished products, with a good training camp and good play in the preseason, the fourth-round rookie could work himself into the starting rotation earlier than expected.