Steelers LT Dan Moore Jr. Gets Absolutely Burned By Alex Highsmith In Latest Knock To His Depth Chart Status

Training camp has officially begun for the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers. Thousands of fans and several members of the media have had the chance to watch the team participate in practices at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. Camp is a long and grueling time of year and while players do their best to take it day by day, the black and gold faithful are attempting to get through it as soon as possible so the regular season is upon them. One of the biggest parts of late July and August every year are the intense position battles that happen all over the field.

Steelers Most Exciting Position Battle Is Happening At Left Tackle

While there are battles for starting jobs happening in all three phases of the game, the most intense one may be coming on the offensive line. Incumbent left tackle, Dan Moore Jr. has his top spot on the depth chart hanging by a thread with rookie and 14th overall selection, Broderick Jones breathing down his back attempting to win the job. The Steelers traded up to get the former Georgia Bulldog and the move wasn't made to have him sit on the bench.

Moore Jr. got plenty of first-team reps on the first day of camp and fans should expect that to continue. Similar to Kenny Pickett in his rookie season, the job isn't just going to be handed to the rookie in Jones. He is going to have to earn it throughout training camp and the preseason. Moore Jr's experience is nothing to scoff at, either, as he as started 33 games in two seasons.

The tests for the two left tackles won't be easy over the first few weeks of camp as newly signed and dominant edge rusher, Alex Highsmith won't be taking it easy on either of them. Moore Jr. has the advantage as he has played against the defender since he was drafted in 2021, but ultimately, Highsmith's success against the two may determine who is starting at Acrisure Stadium in Week 1.

On Friday, a fan's video surfaced on TwitterX of Pickett finding one of his newest weapons, Allen Robinson II, for a touchdown. The TwitterX user, @Mazursky8895, shared the play.

There's no doubting that the connection between Pickett and Robinson is a sight one to see, but the reality of the fact is this play would have never developed if the pads were on and this was a regular season matchup. If one watches what transpires on the edge, Highsmith absolutely blows by Moore Jr. If making contact with the quarterback was allowed this early in camp, Pickett would have, without a doubt, been strip-sacked.

Moore Jr. got off the line slow and that allowed Highsmith to bend right around him to get after the quarterback. This one play alone is cause for concern. Sure, all lineman are going to get beat every once in a while, but this is a guy fighting for his starting job going up against a player who just got a comfortable $70 million extension. Moore Jr. wasn't even close to protecting Pickett on the play.

Jones is a hungry, first-round rookie who is more than capable of holding his own in the NFL. It'll be interesting to see how well he fares throughout camp against the dominant pass rush that the Steelers have to offer. The one thing that is absolutely for sure is that if Moore Jr. continues to get his door blown off, he is not going to be first on the depth chart for much longer.

Do you think Moore Jr. has any chance of holding on to the Steelers' starting spot at left tackle? Let us know in the comments below!

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