The Pittsburgh Steelers have a lot of positions up in the air as they will be trimming their roster down on Tuesday. The obvious ones include starting quarterback, slot cornerback, and the pecking order at outside cornerback behind Joey Porter Jr. and Donte Jackson. Another position battle that hasn't garnered much attention comes at outside linebacker. Of course, TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith are the unquestioned starters, with Nick Herbig right behind them. However, Pittsburgh still needs to find their fourth option at the position.
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Steelers' Nick Herbig coming off the edge to put pressure on the Bills QB during Week 2 of the 2023 preseason.
Pittsburgh has a slew of outside linebackers behind their top three guys on the roster. This includes Jeremiah Moon, Kyron Johnson, Jacoby Windmon, and Julius Welschof. All are fighting for a roster spot on the final 53-man roster, and none have particularly stood out consistently. Moon is listed the highest on the official team depth chart, but that doesn't mean he has secured a spot on the final roster. Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo was on 93.7 The Fan on Friday and he spoke about this being one of the more intriguing position battles to watch in the final preseason game. He gave his thoughts on what could happen.
"So fourth outside linebacker, really not a strong candidate. I think DeMarvin Leal can save them a roster spot, he could be the fourth outside linebacker, if need be. So that's one guy to watch this week, one position to watch."
DeMarvin Leal was picked by the Steelers in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He has been listed as both a linebacker and a defensive lineman. Currently, he is listed on Pittsburgh's depth chart as the backup to Cam Heyward at defensive tackle. He has the versatility to play at both spots, and he isn't a relied upon starter, so he should have the in-game flexibility to play at either spot.
Associated Press
Defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal jumps to bat a pass during a Pittsburgh Steelers game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3 of 2023.
Leal has primarily played on the defensive line, but during the Steelers' first preseason game of 2024 against the Houston Texans, both Watt and Highsmith did not play. The same happened in the second preseason game, which meant Leal got to see some snaps at outside linebacker since Pittsburgh was thin there. He has the experience to play OLB, and with a little more coaching, Pittsburgh could likely rely on him as the fourth option during the regular season.
The third-year defender hasn't really lived up to his expectations so far in his young career. He has played in 23 games for Pittsburgh and recorded just 29 tackles and one sack. He has played on the defensive line for the majority of these snaps, but he has also lined up outside a decent amount as well.
Keeping Leal as a backup defensive tackle and a reserve outside linebacker could benefit his career. He will likely see the field more, and it would give him more opportunities to make plays. Pittsburgh also wouldn't need to worry about using up a roster spot, as he would already make the roster as a defensive lineman.
Steelers Have Another Intriguing Way To Manipulate Their Final Roster
Pittsburgh signed Welschof as an undrafted free agent following the 2024 NFL Draft. He is a part of the NFL's International Player Pathway Program (IPP), meaning he doesn't count against the Steelers' offseason roster. If he were to make the team, he would count against Pittsburgh's 53-man roster. Welschof won't make the final roster, but Pittsburgh will be able to keep him around on the practice squad.
Sebastian Foltz / Post-Gazette
Steelers defensive lineman Julius Welschof works out during the team's offseason activities.
Since the outside linebacker is a part of the IPP, Pittsburgh will receive an exemption and he will be given an extra spot on the practice squad. Teams are only allowed 16 players on their practice squad, but Welschof could be the Steelers' 17th. This is also beneficial to Pittsburgh because other team's can't sign players that are a part of the IPP from another organization's practice squad.
The Steelers will also be able to elevate Welschof to the active roster three times throughout the season, if any injuries do occur.
What do you think of this theory from Fittipaldo? Let us know in the comments below!
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