Though his true position and fit in the NFL, specifically on the Pittsburgh Steelers, remains unclear, the overall potential of second-year defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal remains sky-high, at least according to fellow defensive tackle Montravius Adams.
Adams, speaking with 93.7 The Fan’s Jeff Hathhorn during Organized Team Activities at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side last week, stated that as long as Leal doesn’t have a drop-off in Year 2 with the Steelers, the sky is the limit for the Texas A&M product.
“The dude came in and played D-end, played outside linebacker, played a little nose, the three technique,” Adams, who’s locker is next to Leal, said to Hatthorn, according to audacy.com. “As long as there is no drop off, the sky is the limit.”
Leal has all the tools in the world to become a consistent, impactful defender for the Black and Gold. What his role is though is the real issue for the defensive lineman.
Leal was the Steelers’ third-round pick in 2022, impressing defensive line coach Karl Dunbar after the latter attended his Texas A&M Pro Day. A tweener at 280 pounds, the Steelers bulked him up for the summer, getting him closer to 300 pounds, and Leal showed flashes of his athleticism and pass-rush chops in the summer.
At the time of his selection, it was a curious one due to his fit with the Steelers. He profiled as more of a 4-3 defensive end, but instead was asked be a 3-4 defensive end, an outside linebacker and a sub-package down lineman at times. He flashed at times in 2022 as a rookie after being given a larger role than expected, but his play was far from impactful overall.
He certainly has the athleticism and the motor that runs hot, giving him the all-important want-to, but entering Year 2 Leal lacks a go-to pass rush move and was unproductive in that role, which was a bit of a disappointment in his rookie season. Based on the charting done here at Steelers Depot last season, Leal registered just two pressures all season, one per every 46 rushes, a terrible number that must improve in 2023. There’s still always been questions about his run defense, too, making for a challenging second season ahead.
His role this season still remains unclear. Pittsburgh is intent on playing fourth-round pick Nick Herbig as an OLB to some degree though they may quickly bail on the plan if they realize it’s not working. Leal could still serve as depth on the outside or he could again add weight and be part of the team’s rotational pass rush depth in nickel packages. Right now, the Steelers even seem unsure about what to do with him and we may not get a clearer answer until the summer when training camp begins.
However, if there is no drop-off from his overall abilities and he’s able to build off of a rookie season that threw a lot at him on and off the field, the sky is the limit with his overall athletic traits and skill set. Finding that role will be crucial to unlocking his potential. It might not be clear now, but hopefully some clarity shows up in training camp.
