Steelers stick to offense, pick Texas A&M tackle Dan Moore Jr. in 4th round of NFL Draft
When Steelers president Art Rooney II said the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to take steps toward improving the NFL’s 32nd-ranked running game, he was serious.
One look at the team’s top four picks in the NFL Draft rammed home Rooney’s intentions.
The third day of the draft opened Saturday with the Steelers selecting an offensive player for the fourth pick in a row. Tackle Dan Moore Jr. was selected in the fourth round with the No. 128 overall selection.
Moore followed running back Najee Harris, tight end Pat Freiermuth and guard/center Kendrick Green in the draft process for the Steelers.
Moore, a 6-foot-5, 311-pound senior, made 36 consecutive starts at left tackle over his final three seasons. He also played as a freshman, making one start at left guard before switching to the outside.
“I describe my mentality as hard working,” Moore Jr. said. “This game requires a lot of preparation and hard work. Regardless of the talent you have, you have to work hard every day, and you have to prepare yourself for those moments. That’s the mindset I have.”
Moore will be given a chance to develop at left tackle for the Steelers, who did not make an attempt to re-sign Alejandro Villanueva in free agency.
Last week, coach Mike Tomlin said fourth-year player Chuks Okorafor, who started most of last season at right tackle, would get the first crack to start on the left side. Tomlin also couched that statement, saying depth charts at this time of the offseason are meaningless.
Moore, who was a second-team All-SEC pick as a senior, could push Okorafor for the starting job.
“I don’t view him as a project at all,” offensive line coach Adrian Klemm said. “We’ll throw him into the mix as far as competing.”
Moore spent the training process working out with Green, the center from Illinois.
“I texted him before the pick went up and said we’re about to be teammates,” Moore said. “That’s my dude.”
Moore will know at least one other player when he joins the Steelers. Texas A&M teammate Buddy Johnson was taken by the organization 12 picks later.
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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