Steelers have uncovered a diamond in the rough in Dan Moore

After starting his rookie season at left tackle, it appears as though the Steelers may have landed another gem in the fourth round of the draft.

There wasn’t a lot of fanfare when the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Dan Moore out of Texas A&M in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The pick made sense, as the team needed some tackle help, but most saw Moore as a developmental prospect who would need a season or two before he could be counted on to play regularly. On top of this, many saw his best-case scenario in the NFL as becoming a swing tackle and not a traditional starter.

A fine value in the fourth round if he panned out, but nothing spectacular.

The early reports in camp seemed to back this up. Moore was receiving a ton of left tackle snaps due to injuries and veteran days off, and his early signs weren’t promising as Alex Highsmith consistently beat him. Iron sharpens iron, though, and through these reps, Moore got better. Once the actual preseason games started, Moore quickly established himself as a good player. He was consistently posting strong grades as a blocker and backed that up with strong play in camp.

The expectations changed slightly with him. Instead of being a likely healthy scratch, Moore was seemingly playing his way into becoming the swing tackle as a rookie over Joe Haeg. That alone would have been impressive given where he was drafted, as fourth-round tackles tend to struggle early in their careers with strength and basic technique. Moore was excelling, though, and he had earned the job of a swing tackle.

This was until Zach Banner was placed on injured reserve to start the season. It was shortly announced afterward that Moore would be the starting left tackle in Week 1 as Chukwuma Okorafor would shift back over to the right side. While it was an earned promotion, it was pretty nerve-wracking to see a fourth-round rookie tackle set to protect the blind side of a veteran quarterback.

Steelers have to be impressed with Dan Moore

While his game was far from perfect against the Buffalo Bills, Moore was one of the best linemen for the team by the game’s end. He graded out with a team-best 71.8 rating from Pro Football Focus, and he only was credited with giving up one sack.

For a mid-round rookie, those numbers are excellent, and he was facing some savvy veterans and a creative Bills front seven. It was in no way an easy matchup.

Now, Moore still has a lot of work that he needs to do before he can be counted on as a perennial starter. He needs to get a better push as a run blocker for starters, but as a pass blocker, he shows the ability to anchor and set his feet as well as block his assignment out of the play.

Considering this was his first game, it is almost guaranteed he still progresses from here.

Steelers strike fourth-round NFL Draft gold again

This isn’t the only time in recent history Pittsburgh has struck gold in the fourth round with lineman. Last year, the team landed Kevin Dotson in the same round, and he has ascended into a starter already. While his first game wasn’t anything special, he had a strong camp when healthy and has extremely high expectations heading into his second year.

It seems as though Moore could join him though, as he has been equally impressive as a rookie so far.

Going forward, if Moore continues to hold his own, he should continue being the Steelers starting left tackle. Even when Banner returns, Moore should be left as a starter unless he implodes. To get that kind of value so late in the draft twice in a row is remarkable, and for a team that needs a rebuilt line, it is a huge plus to be finding starters so late in the draft.

While it is still early, it seems as though the Steelers have truly uncovered a diamond in the rough with Moore.