PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Back to the right side for Steelers offensive tackle Chukwuma Okorafor Monday. Rookie Dan Moore worked with the first team at left tackle.
It could, hearing guard Kevin Dotson, likely be that way right now, meaning opening day in Buffalo.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin declined to give an injury update on projected starting right tackle Zach Banner saying he doesn’t have to do so until next week, so he won’t. Banner did not play against Carolina and played sparingly this preseason coming off an ACL tear last year.
“I’m comfortable with both guys,” Dotson said after practice. “I pretty much train with both of them. I feel pretty comfortable with whoever they put in that position. I feel they can do the job.”
“We’ve trained both of them. I feel comfortable either way.”
Okorfor appeared to struggle at times in the preseason finale at left tackle. The four-year vet started 15 games on the right side in 2020 after Banner’s injury in week one.
Dotson said Moore is a quick learner. He will adapt to whatever situation, but feels better on the left side as the coaches were working him on the right side to potentially use him as a swing tackle this year.
“I definitely feel like we both have the mindset that we don’t want to get beat,” Dotson said of the rookie fourth round pick Moore. “We don’t want to get blown back. We don’t want to lose our one-on-one rep. I feel good about his mentality.”
“I like Dan as a player,” said Steelers defensive tackle Chris Wormley. “As a rookie, you want to see some improvement. You see that every day with him. He’s played well in the preseason games and practice as well. I’m excited for him to continue to grow and continue to be a good player for us.”
Even with a potential late change and potentially starting a rookie on Ben Roethlisberger’s blind side, Dotson believes the line is coming together.
“I definitely feel like we are jelling,” Dotson said. “We are getting close. We are getting way better with communication. We are not asking each other every time now. We can kind of nudge that this is about to happen or we are about to do this. Instead of saying the full stuff.”
It’s an offensive line that struggled a lot last year and lost arguably their best to players in Maurkice Pouncey and David DeCastro. Guard Matt Feiler signed a big contract with the Chargers and left tackle Alejandro Villanueva signed with Baltimore.
“Everyone is watching us,” Dotson said. “If we can be this starting block for everybody to look at. ‘Golly, I see Dotson, I see KG putting people on their back’. It makes other people think that they need to get on their job. Maybe I need to go harder so I can match their energy. I definitely like that aspect of our O-line.”
“I feel our tackles are just as important in that situation too.”
Of the draft picks to start or get major playing time in 2021, Moore was not high on the list. He just a few days, he might be the most important rookie on the field.