The 2023 season was a rather disappointing one for Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal. Entering his second season in the NFL, Leal had high expectations to step up and become a key piece on an aging defensive line.
Instead, he reportedly showed up to training camp out of shape last summer, and ultimately was a healthy scratch in five of the final six games of the season, leading to some stinging comments from head coach Mike Tomlin after the season, stating he had a lot of work to do to become a part of the rotation.
Fast forward through the first two days of training camp so far for the Texas A&M product, and the work is being put in and lessons have been learned by Leal from a tough 2023 season.
Through the first two days of training camp, Leal has flashed quite a bit, showcasing intriguing athleticism on the inside and making plays in team sessions for the Black and Gold.
That fast start is what Leal was eyeing.
“For sure. I just wanted to start off good and just keep it going and going and just build from there,” Leal said to reporters Friday following Day 2 of training camp, according to video via Steelers Live on Twitter.
He’s accomplished that fast start, but now it’s about stacking days, continuing to be a consistent player for the Steelers. Consistency was a big problem for Leal through his first two seasons.
He’d flash, but then struggled to replicate it.
Leal started out the season strongly for the Steelers after a good preseason, playing 26 snaps against the 49ers, 39 snaps against Cleveland in Week 2 recording a sack in the win, and 33 snaps in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders on the road.
But after that, playing time dwindled. Leal saw 21, 23, 14 and 24 snaps in his next four games even though he was inactive in Week 5 against Baltimore. Then came the final blow for Leal as he was a healthy scratch for the final stretch of the season, including the playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills.
It was a challenging second season, but he’s learned from the tough season overall.
“Shoot, I’ve learned so much, honestly. I couldn’t even tell you, but I can just say that I’ve grown and I’m here. That’s all I can say,” Leal said to reporters. “…I wouldn’t say disappointing. This is a blessing. This is a blessing just to be out on this field and just doing what I do the best and doing what I love. So it’s a learned lesson. We learned, now we’re here.”
So far, he is letting his play do the talking, proving he’s learned his lesson.
If Leal can take that next step and become a key rotational piece for the Steelers up front along the defensive line, depth just got a whole lot better for the Steelers. His first two days of training camp are rather encouraging overall. If he keeps putting together performances like this, he’ll lock down a roster spot and have a real chance to make the leap in Year 3.
That’s very encouraging.
