Although the overall outcome of the 2022 season was not necessarily what the Pittsburgh Steelers had expected, there is no doubt that last year's performance left all of Steeler Nation with something to look forward to for the future. Not only did this same Steelers team keep Head Coach Mike Tomlin’s 16 consecutive winning seasons streak alive, but they did it by winning seven of their last nine ball games, with rookies contributing on both sides of the ball down the stretch. Obviously, the likes of fellow rookies, Kenny Pickett and George Pickens will garner much of the attention as they play the more “flashy” positions, but the play of fellow rookie, DeMarvin Leal, also caught the eye of most Steeler fans.
Karl Roser / Steelers.com
Pittsburgh Steelers DE DeMarvin Leal (98) and OLB T.J. Watt (90) combine to make a tackle in a 16-13 win vs The Baltimore Ravens.
After not testing particularly well at the NFL Combine, Leal found himself available as it became time for the Steelers to select their third round selection in this past draft (84th overall) and found himself in the black and gold shortly after. He found himself a spot on the defensive front playing 175 snaps as a rookie across 11 games, totaling 14 combined tackles, but no sacks allocated. He did miss time in the middle of the year being placed on the Reserve/Injured List due to him needing knee surgery, but was able to log 15-plus defensive snaps in the majority of the games in which he played.
Coming out of Texas A&M University, Leal was projected to be a late first, early second round pick just off of what he put on tape during the 2021 college football season. Unfortunately, during the NFL Combine, Leal did not test necessarily well, which made his draft stock plummet just a few rounds. With the Steelers thin at the interior defensive line position, they jumped at the opportunity to select the 6’4", 291 pound defensive end. It was hard to keep Leal off the field, especially knowing the skill set he possesses and although his overall stats might not have been where he wanted them to be and as he detailed in an interview with Teresa Varley of Steelers.com, Leal mentioned exactly what he expects the expectations of him to be going into his second full year in the NFL, and hopefully his first full healthy one.
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Pittsburgh Steelers DE Demarvin Leal (98) attempts to block a field goal in a preseason game vs the Detroit Lions.
STEELERS DEMARVIN LEAL ON HIS ROOKIE SEASON
"At different portions of the season, most of us have been thrown into the fire," said Leal. "For a rookie class to be thrown into the fire, that brings confidence. Looking back at year one, looking at the film, we know what we can do. We know we can do better. Going into year two, it feels like it's going to be scary."
"I just want to improve everything," said Leal. "All phases of the game. Make sure I am a better me. All phases. I need to work on all phases. It's never going to stop."
The Steelers themselves are not getting any younger on the defensive front. Led by 6x Pro Bowl and 3x All-Pro Cam Heyward, the Steelers have stars all around their defense and hope that Leal can continue to trend positively as he heads into the new year. He goes into this off-season knowing he did enough last year to garner some playing time and he seems to have the right mentality to back it up. All we can do is hope for the best, but Leal’s play left Steeler Nation with a glimmer of hope for the future.
Do you think Leal can be a solidified starter in the NFL? Comment below!
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