Player: DL DeMarvin Leal
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: The third-year defensive lineman played often, and often played well, in the Steelers’ preseason debut. Across 33 snaps, DeMarvin Leal earned positive grades across the board in a bid for a roster spot. This follows consistently positive reports about the former third-round pick’s progress throughout the offseason, culminating in a sack.
In total, DeMarvin Leal registered three tackles on Friday against the Houston Texans, including a sack for an 11-yard loss. It was probably the best preseason game of his career, though by now, he should be long past the preseason. In his third year, he wants to elevate himself and become a consistent contributor to the defense.
It seems likely that his ticket to doing that is continuing to evolve into a niche specialist player. Although he almost exclusively played on the line during the opener, the Steelers are moving DeMarvin Leal out to the edge at times during training camp.
A young player coming out of college, Leal admits that he has had to mature during his career. He spent much of the second half of the 2023 season on the bench as a healthy scratch, surely a catalyst for a wake-up call.
To that end, he has endeavored to better himself and improve his professionalism. His coaches and teammates have consistently spoken positively about him this offseason, including his conditioning. Even Leal admitted that he came into this offseason in better shape than in years past.
That seemed to show up on Friday working against the Texans’ offensive line, where he held his own. Even Pro Football Focus graded him well in everything, receiving an 81.2 overall grade. By and large, though, his play in the game mirrors what we have seen from him in training camp.
Still, he may not quite have a roster spot locked up. The Steelers still have Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, Keeanu Benton, Montravius Adams, and Dean Lowry ahead of him. He is competing primarily with Isaiahh Loudermilk and rookie Logan Lee for either one or two remaining defensive line slots. Right now, though, DeMarvin Leal appears to be in the driver’s seat.
As the season progresses, Steelers players’ stocks rise and fall. The nature of the evaluation differs with the time of year, with in-season considerations being more often short-term. Considerations in the offseason often have broader implications, particularly when players lose their jobs, or the team signs someone. This time of year is full of transactions, whether minor or major.
A bad game, a new contract, an injury, a promotion—any number of things affect a player’s value. Think of it as a stock on the market, based on speculation. You’ll feel better about a player after a good game, or worse after a bad one. Some stock updates are minor, while others are likely to be quite drastic, so bear in mind the degree. I’ll do my best to explain the nature of that in the reasoning section of each column.
