Player: DL DeMarvin Leal
Stock Value: Down
Reasoning: The Steelers added two defensive linemen—ends—which puts DeMarvin Leal in a precarious position going into his NFL fourth season. After spending most of 2024 on the Injured/Reserve List, he has a lot to prove. Yet it might be difficult even finding reps this summer, the defensive line room hastily crowding itself.
DeMarvin Leal may or may not be the biggest victim among Steelers veterans from the 2025 NFL Draft, but he is up there. Perhaps one could argue that Isaiahh Loudermilk or Dean Lowry is more vulnerable; Esezi Otomewo certainly is. But even if Leal hangs onto his roster spot, he may not play much.
And as a quick caveat before we dig in further, even his chances of changing positions took a dive. The Steelers took OLB Jack Sawyer in the fourth round, so it wouldn’t make sense to move DeMarvin Leal there. I mention it because they always mention his position flexibility, and they tried him there last summer.
But let’s take a minute to break down the current depth chart, shall we? The starting lineup will be Cameron Heyward, Keeanu Benton, and rookie Derrick Harmon. Free agent signing Daniel Ekuale and fifth-round pick Yahye Black are likely to make the team. There are a lot of bodies left over, though, for potentially only one more roster spot. In addition to Leal, the Steelers still have Lowry, Loudermilk, Montravius Adams, and Logan Lee. That’s just mentioning the more significant names, though perhaps Otomewo merits mentioning, too.
While the Steelers have carried seven defensive linemen at times in recent years, it’s still more of a luxury. And it’s looking like this might be a year that they carry 10 linebackers, too. There are at least four reserved for inside and outside, with Mark Robinson, Cole Holcomb, Carson Bruener, and Jeremiah Moon duking it out for spots 8-10. Put Julius Welschof in there, as well, and now tell me, where do the Steelers fit in DeMarvin Leal? He is well and truly off scholarship at this point, isn’t he?
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. The dust is settled on both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft. 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?
