The Pittsburgh Steelers put out there first depth chart of the 2023 regular season on Monday, and it had an expected, yet still notable view of the left tackle position.
Incumbent starter Dan Moore Jr. took nearly all of the first team reps throughout training camp and the preseason, so it’s not surprising that he was named the team’s starting left tackle, holding off first-round draft pick Broderick Jones to keep the job that Moore has manned for the last two seasons.
Asked about the spot during his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin had good things to say about both players and believes the quality depth provided by a talented youngster like Jones being unable to earn a starting role is a positive sign for the team.
Moore will now enter his third straight season as the starter at left tackle, a role he was thrust into a as a rookie fourth-round pick in 2021 after Zach Banner was unable to return to health following his knee injury.
In three years, Moore has gone from a player that started out of sheer necessity to one that is holding off the player the team moved up in the first round to get.
“I thought he played really well [in preseason],” Tomlin said. “I thought he showed the growth and maturation that comes with the thousand or so snaps that he’s played over the last two years. And so, really comfortable there.”
Tomlin also said the preseason competition was a positive in terms of the future of Jones, even though he did not beat out Moore to be the starter.
“Really excited about what Broderick showed us,” Tomlin said. “We were very thoughtful about making sure that the got a lot of reps over the course of development, particularly in preseason stadiums. I liked the work that he did there. And so, I just feel really good about our left tackle position. I feel really good about Dan’s growth and development. I feel really good about the acquisition of Broderick and how bright his future is.”
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Saying all of that, the Steelers didn’t draft Jones to sit on the bench. At some point, the team still plans for him to assume the starting role his pedigree expects. But just because he will eventually start, doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing for him to be sitting and watching right now.
Some of the Steelers’ best draft picks have sit and waited as rookies. Many others have come along slowly as their first year progressed.
“I know, often times, depth charts produce stories: Maybe ‘What’s Wrong with Broderick?’ Et cetera,” Tomlin said. “There’s nothing wrong with Broderick. There was nothing wrong with Cam Heyward when he watched. If you have a good team, if you have people playing well, often times, it means young, capable guys get an opportunity to watch as they grow and develop. That’s the story of the left tackle position and I feel really comfortable about where we are.”
If Moore continues to earn playing time, the Steelers have other options in the future. He played one series of right tackle during the preseason, and could flip sides down the road, based on his growth and experience so far.