The Pittsburgh Steelers were quite happy when Texas A&M defensive lineman, DeMarvin Leal fell to them in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Many scouts saw him as a first-round talent, but his draft stock dropped for a few reasons. While he was a raw product coming out of college, Leal earned increasing playing time over the first month with the Steelers. He recently picked up a knee injury and was eventually placed on IR.
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - NOVEMBER 27: Max Johnson #14 of the LSU Tigers is sacked by DeMarvin Leal #8 and Micheal Clemons #2 of the Texas A&M Aggies during the second half at Tiger Stadium on November 27, 2021 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
It was disappointing for the rookie, as he was becoming used to NFL offensive lines. Veteran Tyson Alualu was benched in favor of Montravius Adams on the interior of the defensive line. Elsewhere, Larry Ogunjobi has dealt with a few injuries this season, so Leal began to pick up more playing time. Head coach Mike Tomlin even praised the rookie, saying he would continue to get more opportunities.
The team has tried to also limit Cam Heyward's snaps, as he is now 33 years old. Heyward's played just 70% of the team's defensive snaps this season, the lowest number since his 2012 rookie season. Late last week, ahead of the Week 6 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Leal re-injured his right knee in practice. He was immediately ruled out for the weekend in Friday's injury report.
On Wednesday via his Instagram, Leal announced that he has underwent surgery on his meniscus. He added that he does expect to return at some point this season, although that timetable is unclear at the moment. A return from Leal late in the season would certainly help the team, as well as his continued growth and maturation. At that point, the team will hopefully be rounding into form and making a run at the playoffs.
Credit: Jordan Schofield/SteelerNation (JSKO_PHOTO Twitter)
The team's run defense seems to be getting better, as they were able to limit Leonard Fournette to just 63 rushing yards on 21 carries in Week 6.
What should Leal's role look like when he returns? Can he be a long-term replacement on the defensive line for the Steelers? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
#SteelerNation
