Steelers A to Z: After switching teams in AFC North, Jeremiah Moon looks to provide depth at OLB

Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2024 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 14 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

LB Jeremiah Moon

Experience/age: Second year/turns 26 in August

Contract status: $915,000 cap hit if he makes the team

The past: Moon is the “other” linebacker the Steelers added from the Baltimore Ravens in the offseason.

His arrival came before the Steelers gave teammate Patrick Queen a three-year, $41 million contract in free agency. The Ravens waived Moon in late January during their run to the AFC championship game, and the Steelers claimed him when he became eligible in February.

Moon spent six seasons at Florida and took advantage of the pandemic to get an additional year of eligibility in 2021. By then, he had converted from the defensive line to linebacker.

Moon went undrafted and signed with the Ravens as a free agent. After spending the 2022 season on the practice squad, he made eight appearances on the active roster last season and started one game. He finished the year with 12 tackles, playing 99 snaps on defense and 142 more on special teams.

The @seniorbowl is looking live at @GatorsFB vs @FAUFootball. Florida EDGE Jeremiah Moon accepted 2021 RSB invite but needed foot surgery so he opted to return. @jmoonvii has plenty of tools but he needs to put it all together this year.#TheDraftStartsInMOBILE™️#BestoftheBest pic.twitter.com/dTJjYukpU9

— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) September 5, 2021

2024 outlook: Where Queen was added to shore up the middle of the Steelers linebacker corps, Moon will be competing for a backup spot at outside linebacker. At 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, Moon has the build of an outside linebacker, and he said the defense used in Baltimore is like the one deployed by the Steelers.

Moon said in offseason workouts that he is comfortable defending the run and dropping into pressure, two requirements of an outside linebacker in the Steelers’ 3-4 scheme. An opening exists at outside linebacker with the Steelers declining to pursue veteran Markus Golden in free agency.

T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are set as the starters, and second-year player Nick Herbig could move into the top backup role. Moon’s competition for the fourth spot could come from Kyron Johnson and David Perales.

Moon’s special teams experience with the Ravens could be a deciding factor.