Is Steelers DL DeMarvin Leal stepping up or stepping down?
While most of the writing on DeMarvin Leal this offseason has been positive, training camp reports particularly need a caveat. It’s one that Alex Kozora frequently mentions in his training camp diaries and needs a wider profile. While he is winning his one-on-one matchups at a good clip, he is doing so against lower competition.
The Steelers drafted DeMarvin Leal quite possibly with an eye toward starting him one day. Going into his third season, he really doesn’t appear on the cusp of anything close to that. Right now, he is battling for a roster spot and a potential situational role.
Let’s start with Sunday’s practice, where Leal ended up on his butt twice. Dylan Cook planted him during a one-on-one drill, and Zach Frazier pancaked him in team drills. Sure, he created some pressure elsewhere and occasionally explodes into the backfield, but against whom?
“DeMarvin Leal was active again, but he does get to beat up on the third-stringers quite a bit”, Kozora wrote. “I want to see him against some elevated competition during the preseason. It’s worth noting that the team treats Isaiahh Loudermilk as the starter in base whenever Heyward/Ogunjobi aren’t out there, while Leal is the first man to rotate in sub without No. 97 or 99 in the lineup”.
Let’s bear in mind that the Steelers still don’t even have Dean Lowry out there, whom they signed as the top reserve. And I don’t know if it’s a good or bad sign that they are throwing Leal into some outside linebacker reps, though it obviously increases his flexibility.
Perhaps this is a sign of shifting into a more situational piece for Leal, which may be best for him. At the same time, that also signifies a move away from viewing him as a potential future starter. Things can always change, of course, but why isn’t Leal getting more high-quality reps if the coaches believe in him?
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a first-round playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they exit early or miss the playoffs altogether. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? How will the team continue to address the depth chart?
The Steelers are in training camp and the preseason and the 2024 season is coming into focus. They made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
