Player: DE DeMarvin Leal
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: The roster prospects for DeMarvin Leal took a hit with the Steelers’ selection of DL Derrick Harmon. While we all assumed they would take a defensive lineman, they now have a new starter in place. With an overabundance of defensive ends, Leal will have to fight for a roster spot—and stay healthy.
The Steelers selected DeMarvin Leal in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and so far, they haven’t gotten a great deal of return on their investment in him. Over three seasons, he has 33 tackles and one sack. He has played just 432 snaps, though injuries haven’t helped.
It’s worth keeping in mind that Leal was just 21 years old when the Steelers drafted him. He’s still young, and he lacked professional maturity early in his career. Last offseason, he seemed to be getting things together. But after just four-plus games and limited playing time, he suffered a season-ending injury.
He could have really helped cement a role for himself last season, but that injury cost him the opportunity. The Steelers had to look in other directions and may decide to do so later this year on the roster. Everything is a numbers game, and they have too many defensive linemen.
Consider this: in addition to DeMarvin Leal, the Steelers have at defensive end Cameron Heyward, Derrick Harmon, Isaiahh Loudermilk, Dean Lowry, Logan Lee, Daniel Ekuale, and Esezi Otomewo. Heyward and Harmon are obviously making the team. At an absolute maximum, three more will make the roster. Ekuale as a non-minimum free-agent signing is highly likely to be one. In the past, Loudermilk has played over Leal. Lowry is another veteran they signed a year ago, and Lee was a sixth-round pick in 2024. Lee didn’t even have a chance to play last season due to injury, so they will be motivated to get a look at him.
Don’t be shocked if Leal is not on the Steelers’ 53-man roster later this year. While he very well could make the team, and even play a meaningful role, he never before has had to earn his keep so clearly during an offseason. And in the final year of his contract, the Steelers don’t have much long-term incentive to hold on to him. There’s always the practice squad.
With the new league year underway and the Steelers turning their roster over, it’s once again time to “take stock”. It took a while, but we finally saw some of that change the team talked about after the season ended. Certainly, the move to trade for WR DK Metcalf qualifies as a change, not to mention the accompanying contract.
There is still a long way to go before we know what this Steelers team is going to look like. Once the dust settles on free agency, we turn our attention to the draft, and so on. What other moves might the team make, perhaps unexpected acquisitions or departures? If they traded for one player, they could certainly trade for another, or trade one away. This is a Steelers team starving for postseason success, but how desperate are they for a playoff win in 2025?
