The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted DeMarvin Leal in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. While he has fallen short of expectations so far, his teammates and coaches are optimistic that 2024 will be different. Even Leal acknowledges that he has grown up some this year, becoming more of a professional. For Cameron Heyward, it’s more than that.
“I wouldn’t even say he was ‘rookie Leal’”, Heyward said on the WDVE Morning Show, pushing back a bit on the framing of a question about Leal’s purported immaturity last year. “I think now he understands the playbook a lot more”.
“The thing with Leal is he provides versatility to be able to play end or outside”, Heyward noted. Leal has played some outside linebacker during training camp this year, having done so as a rookie. “He’s not your traditional four-technique, but he’s rushing the passer well, he knows what he’s doing. He doesn’t seem like he’s rattled by the playbook. I think he’s just feeling more comfortable in what he’s doing”.
The Steelers have a crowded defensive line room this year, however, and he is no longer on a proverbial scholarship. With two seasons under his belt, Leal has to earn his roster spot this year, no longer resting on “potential”.
A third-year player out of Texas A&M, DeMarvin Leal spent much of the first half of the Steelers’ season active last year with Cameron Heyward injured. Once Heyward returned, however, Leal’s role dwindled, even spending many games a healthy scratch.
From Week 10 on last season, Leal did not dress for half of the Steelers’ games. He only played 26 snaps in total over the final 10 games, including the postseason, never more than nine in a game. Isaiahh Loudermilk regularly and consistently played ahead of him, as did Armon Watts.
While the Steelers lost Watts in free agency, they replaced him with Dean Lowry and drafted Logan Lee. Lowry should be the top backup, but Lee will compete with Loudermilk and Leal for potentially one roster spot.
The Steelers have Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, and Keeanu Benton in the starting lineup, with Lowry and Montravius Adams as their top reserves. There is no guarantee that the Steelers carry seven linemen, so Leal has to claim the final spot.
The fact that the kickoff rules are different this year makes him a candidate to play special teams. In this case, Leal can benefit tremendously from his athleticism, which hasn’t always been an asset as a defensive lineman.
On the whole, the reports about DeMarvin Leal have been pretty consistently positive from Steelers camp. Still, one wonders why the team isn’t giving him more high-quality reps, especially considering Lowry is still on the PUP List and Heyward gets veteran days off.
