Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Dan Moore Jr. (65) lines up during the first half of an NFL … [+]
An assumption made by many media members and fans on draft day has been proven to be wrong.
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected offensive tackle Broderick Jones as their first-round pick. It was generally expected from the outside that the University of Georgia standout would be the starting left tackle in Week 1.
Yet when the Steelers offense takes the field for the first time Sunday in the season opener against the visiting San Francisco 49ers at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, it will be Dan Moore Jr. starting at left tackle just as he did for 33 games over his first two NFL seasons.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said he was happy with what he saw from Jones during training camp and the preseason. However, Moore’s experience swung the decision in his favor.
“I thought he played really well,” Tomlin said. “I thought he showed the growth and maturation that comes with the 1,000 or so snaps that he’s played over the last two years. Really comfortable there.”
The Steelers traded up in the draft to take Jones at No. 14 overall. However, Tomlin stressed that Jones not being in the starting lineup for the opener does not mean that the Steelers are having buyers’ remorse about drafting him.
“Really excited about what Broderick showed us,” Tomlin said. “We were very thoughtful about making sure he got a lot of reps during the course of development, particularly in preseason stadiums. I like the work he did there.”
The Steelers gave up 38 sacks last season, which isn’t an inordinate amount. However, quarterback Kenny Pickett took some vicious hits in his rookie year and twice suffered concussions.
Tomlin feels better about the Steelers’ depth in protecting Pickett’s blind side this season.
“I feel really good about our left tackle position,” Tomlin said. “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. I know oftentimes depth charts produce stories, what’s wrong with Broderick, etc. There is nothing wrong with Broderick.
“If you have a good team, if you have people playing well, oftentimes it means young, capable guys have an opportunity to watch as they grow and develop. That is the story of the left tackle position and I feel really comfortable about where we are.”
The Steelers’ first-team offense had an excellent showing in limited preseason work. The unit scored touchdowns on all four possessions in helping Pittsburgh have a perfect 3-0 record in exhibition play.
Pickett completed 9 of 11 passes for 113 yards and two TDs. His passer rating was an outstanding 149.1.
On Sunday, Pickett will go up against another quarterback from the 2022 draft class. While Pickett was the only QB chosen in the first round that year, the San Francisco 49ers took Brock Purdy with the last overall pick.
The Steelers missed the playoffs last season with their 9-8 record.
Meanwhile, Purdy helped lead the 49ers to the NFC Championship Game. Purdy started the final five games of the regular season following injuries to Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo.
Purdy sustained a torn elbow ligament in the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC title game but has made a full recovery.
After the Steelers won seven of their last nine games a year ago to cap Pickett’s rookie season, the former Pitt standout is ready for the offense to take a step forward. That could be a tough task against the 49ers, who allowed the fewest yards in the NFL last season.
“We’re definitely confident and way ahead of where we were a year ago and I think everyone’s buying in and we all understand what we’re trying to do,” Pickett said. “We all love the game plan. We all bought in, so that’s the start and we’re going to go out there and do it.”