Heading into the 2022 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers had several question marks which included the quarterback situation, offensive line inconsistency and lack of depth on the defensive side of the ball. Since August, the team has slowly developed a solution at the signal-caller position with rookie Kenny Pickett getting better each week. A strong rushing attack emerged after the bye week and the defense is currently the healthiest it's been all year.
However, all three concerns aren't perfect, and one player has been more of a burden throughout the last few months and has continued to struggle. General Manager, Omar Khan is likely to look for his replacement come April.
Steelers' Dan Moore Jr. gets ready to take on Myles Garrett and the Browns prior to a 2022 regular season matchup | Photo Credit: Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers
Offensive Line Coach, Pat Meyer said over a month ago that he was extremely happy with the progression from offensive tackle, Dan Moore Jr.
"He’s getting better each and every week. The tempo of his feet, his sets, the way he’s throwing his hands now which he never did before in the past. I’ve seen a huge, huge improvement from Dan over the course of six, seven, eight months," Meyer said.
It's very unlikely a positional coach would talk poorly about one of his guys so the comments from Meyer are not surprising. The problem is that the numbers for Moore Jr. show that he is not performing well and sits at the bottom of many important categories, especially for someone who is tasked with protecting Pickett's blind side.
Steelers offensive tackle, Dan Moore Jr. warms up for a regular season game during his rookie year 2021. | Photo Credit: Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pro Football Focus currently has him sitting at 61st in the offensive tackle rankings. His grade as of Week 14 is 61.3. He is 45th with a pass-blocking grade of 67.9 and 55.7 in the run-blocking department. Bother numbers are in the bottom half of the league. The PFF grading system is a bit confusing, but there are many other numbers that suggest he is having a very tough year. It starts with the penalties that have been a consistent piece of his game.
Moore Jr. has had nine penalties against him accepted this season, which is the second worst in the NFL. Of the nine, four are false starts (second worst) and another four are holding (also second worst). Some of them have come at critical moments in games and while he has had moments of promise throughout the season, the bad outweighs the good in this scenario and his play should not convince the franchise that other options should not be explored.
Another concern has been the sacks allowed for Moore Jr. Offensive tackles are naturally going to let defenders get to a righty quarterback more often than the other positions, but he has allowed six this season which is tied for the fifth worst in the league. He has allowed 31 total pressures and eight QB hits. These numbers are quite concerning, even if he is only in his second professional season. The big men moving onto the next level from college in April could lead to a selection that costs him his job.
Steelers' Dan Moore Jr. works to get ready for Von Miller and the Buffalo Bills at practice ahead of a 2022 regular season game. | Photo Credit: Abigail Dean/Pittsburgh Steelers
There are three very promising prospects that are sure to go in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Peter Skoronski out of Northwestern, Paris Johnson from Ohio State and Broderick Jones who is currently playing at the University of Georgia are a few to name and keep an eye on. Even if Khan decides to go in a different direction in the first round, the Steelers will most likely have two picks in the top 15 selections in the second round and there are many other players that could potentially challenge Moore Jr. for his job in a year from now.
The current starting offensive tackle is certainly not the worst to suit up for the black and gold, but if the organization has found its next franchise quarterback in Pickett, it is also going to need a fierce blind side protector that can be the future at the position for a long time. It wouldn't be surprising if Pittsburgh passes on a tackle in the first round, but the penalties, mistakes and lack of consistency from Moore Jr. could absolutely have Khan thinking of going in a different direction in 2023.
Do you think that Moore Jr. could cost himself a starting position next season if he continues to underperform the rest of the 2022 season? Let us know in the comments below!
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