As a rookie in the NFL, normally your head is spinning just from getting adjusted to the increased speed of the game and the length of the season compared to the college game. However, for Steelers DL and former third-round pick DeMarvin Leal, he had far more to think about than your average rookie getting their feet wet.
Last season, Leal was moved around all over the defensive front to account for injuries to OLB T.J. Watt as well as DL Chris Wormley. When the players were made available to the media Wednesday after practice, Leal was asked about the versatility he put on display last season as a rookie and if he could recall all the positions that he took snaps at last season.
“Honestly, I couldn’t tell you,” Leal said Wednesday via video from Steelers Live Twitter page. “I didn’t keep track. I was just doing what I was told. I definitely did way more than I thought I was, but I was prepared for it. Just had to listen, know what I had to do, ask the questions that I needed to ask, and then everything else was going to take care of itself.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Leal logged 168 snaps along the defensive line, six in the box, and even one snap in the slot corner position as a rookie in 2022. He logged 69 snaps at left and right outside linebacker, 35 as the LEO/REO, 20 as a base defensive end, three as a nose tackle, and 41 at defensive tackle. When Leal mentioned he was lining up like a middle linebacker at one point, he wasn’t lying as PFF had two of his six snaps in the box and MLB.
HC Mike Tomlin has complimented Leal’s athleticism in the past and GM Omar Khan has said that the Steelers don’t want to hinder Leal’s versatility and continue to allow him to play different positions along the defensive front instead of pigeonholing into one spot. According to Leal, this exposure and experience playing various positions has only benefitted him.
“You see it from all different perspectives,” Leal said.
Sitting close to 300 pounds as of now in June, one would figure that Leal should be able to log more consistent snaps along the defensive line in 2023, especially after Pittsburgh drafted Nick Herbig in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft and signed FA EDGE Markus Golden to a one-year deal. This will give Leal the opportunity to fine-tune his skills as an interior pass rusher against guards as well as allow us to see how he will fare against the run on the inside.
However, should one of the top three edge rushers go down or Pittsburgh opts to move Herbig inside at some point during the season, we could see Leal get more run on the edge, providing a bigger, stouter run defender there than Herbig.
Pittsburgh’s plans for Leal have yet to be revealed regarding if they see him more as a base defensive end or as a pumped-up edge defender. While his versatility and athleticism are good tips of the cap to him and how he can contribute to this defense, the Steelers would be doing themselves a favor by giving Leal a fair amount of run inside this season. That would let them know if they’ve got a potential starter at that position or if Leal is better suited to be a rotational player — and if Pittsburgh should continue searching for the potential long-term heir to Cameron Heyward once he decides to call it a career.
