3 projected starters the Steelers must find long-term replacements for

Most of us were surprised to see the Pittsburgh Steelers come out with guns blazing at the start of free agency. Just a few hours after the legal tampering period kicked off, Omar Khan was able to ink a deal with cornerback Patrick Peterson. In just a matter of days, they managed to find two new linebackers in Cole Holcomb and Elandon Roberts as well as an offensive guard in Nate Herbig.

These moves help us see how the roster is starting to shape up, and the good news is that Pittsburgh will have three picks inside the top 50 in the NFL Draft to work with as well. Unfortunately, they still have plenty of talent deficiencies when comparing them to other NFL teams.

Even with all of their recent activity in free agency, this team still has some glaring areas of weakness and they are lacking long-term starts at multiple positions. Here are three projected starters the Steelers still need to find long-term replacements for.

3. Steelers must find an upgrade over LT Dan Moore Jr.

As a former fourth-round pick, Dan Moore Jr. has performed about as well as anyone could have expected him to. However, there's a reason Moore was a day-three draft prospect, to begin with, and it's unfair to expect him to be one of the better left tackles in the league.

Moore has started all 33 games he has appeared in since being the 128th overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Sadly, the inconsistencies remain. However, Moore has a good frame and length for the left tackle position, but his inconsistent feet and get-off cause him to really struggle against speed rushers.

At times, Moore can look like he has a future as a long-term starting left tackle, but the flashes are too inconsistent. The blindside protector is such an important position that the Steelers can't afford to settle here, and they may even search for his replacement early in the 2023 NFL Draft.