Is DeMarvin Leal better off playing outside linebacker?
After three years, the Steelers still don’t really know what to do with DeMarvin Leal, as the start of camp indicates. This offseason the former third-round pick has put on weight—and also kicked wide to outside linebacker. Now, we don’t know if this is a full-time shift or just an experiment, but they have worked him there before.
But is DeMarvin Leal better off playing outside linebacker, rather than trying to make it on the defensive line? Although the Steelers have a strong top four, they could keep a fifth outside linebacker. The defensive line room is crowded already—and his versatility is a factor, too.
In a 3-4 defense that primarily plays nickel, a heavier outside linebacker makes a lot of sense. Often, the criticism for a 3-4 is that the front four in a nickel look winds up being undersized. You’re using defensive ends as tackles and linebackers as ends. But if DeMarvin Leal could be a “heavy” end, it might just be crazy enough to work.
Even if Leal continues to work with the outside linebackers, he can still be looked at as a multi-positional player. If he makes the roster, he could be both the seventh defensive lineman and the fifth outside linebacker. And it appears he may also be trying to up his responsibilities on special teams, which would be crucial.
At this stage of his career, I doubt DeMarvin Leal cares what position he plays. He just wants to find ways to get on the field, which is why he has always embraced versatility. The Steelers have tried to use him in a variety of ways since they drafted him, but not to great effect.
Leal missed most of his third season a year ago due to injury, so that’s a substantial window of development lost not just to him, but also to us. We don’t know where he stands because we barely saw him last year. All we can say for sure at this point is he probably needs a rather good camp to make the 53-man roster—at any position.
The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. While they made a lot of moves, they have to put the pieces together. The 2025 NFL Draft class could play a big role, but veteran additions will be paramount.
But we still have a long training camp ahead for Steelers football. We survived the Aaron Rodgers situation and moved on to other things–other dramas sometimes. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go.
