One of the biggest offseason questions that remains for the Pittsburgh Steelers is what exactly their plan is for DL DeMarvin Leal heading into his second season. A third-round pick out of Texas A&M, Leal had an uninspiring 2022 campaign, missing some time on injured reserve, and finished the year playing in 11 games with two starts and recorded 14 total tackles (eight solo) one TFL, and three PBUs.
Leal was asked to play out of position relative to the position Pittsburgh drafted him to be, as a base DE, playing on the edge a fair amount after T.J. Watt went down with a pec injury the first week of the season. Moving around the defensive front as a rookie only seemed to raise questions than provide answers about his future role with the Steelers. Many have wondered whether Leal should bulk up and stay inside as a true DL or try and shed weight and be an oversized edge rusher in Pittsburgh’s system. When asked about Leal and his positional fit this offseason, GM Omar Khan mentioned that the Steelers didn’t want to hinder Leal’s versatility and that they expect to utilize him a lot of different places rather than having him stay in one location.
For some players, like former Steelers S Sean Davis, constantly moving around different spots can be a detriment to your development as you never fully grasp and feel comfortable in one spot. However, some players do their best when they aren’t relegated to one specific role and can use their versatility to gain an advantage in certain matchups. That’s what Leal did coming out of Texas A&M, playing inside and rushing against less athletic guards while also kicking outside and showing his athleticism on the edge against offensive tackles.
With the signing of EDGE Markus Golden, the thought would be to have Leal play more snaps inside as a 3 technique/4i in Pittsburgh’s defense. However, looking at Leal’s skill set, I would encourage Pittsburgh to look at the New York Jets and how they utilize DL John Franklin-Myers as a model for how to best deploy Leal. When I completed Leal’s pre-draft profile for the site, I compared him to John Franklin-Myers. Both players shared nearly identical size in terms of height, weight, and length coming out of college with Leal standing 6’3 7/8”, 283lb with 33 1/4” arms and Myers standing 6’3 7/8”, 283lb with 32 7/8” arms.
Both Leal and Myers share similar play styles as athletic, disruptive defensive linemen who win with speed and quickness on the inside, but also have been effective on the outside. Myers started his career on the inside but has played more on the edge in recent seasons with the Jets, providing a bigger presence to set the edge much like Pittsburgh asked Leal to do last season when Watt was out of the lineup.
When kicked inside, both Leal and Myers showcase the athleticism and pass-rush skills to beat less athletic guards on passing downs. Myers has one of the highest-pressure percentages in the league being disruptive on the inside as well as on the edge as New York moves him around the formation to get him in advantageous matchups to rush the passer. Leal can function in a similar way, kicking inside on third downs to use his athleticism against interior blockers or rush on the edge as potentially this team’s EDGE4 behind Watt, Alex Highsmith, and Markus Golden.
We are seeing “positionless football” become more of a thing in today’s NFL. Linebackers are looking more like safeties that can run, hit, and cover while tight ends are more resembling pumped-up wide receivers that can stretch the field vertically, but also must be able to run block. The same is the case for defensive linemen as some players are considered “tweeners” due to their lack of specific fit as either an interior defensive lineman or as an edge rusher. Leal falls into that category, but that doesn’t have to be a reason why he can’t contribute and be a productive player in Pittsburgh.
Rather, should DC Teryl Austin and the defense capitalize on his traits and the versatility he brings to the table, Leal should be able to make an impact in Year Two. Just look at a similar player like Franklin-Myers, who splits time inside and outside and has become a notable defensive lineman with the Jets. The Steelers need to be cognizant regarding their plan with Leal this coming season. Allowing him to play both on the edge as well as inside in 2023 could work out well both for Leal and for Pittsburgh.
