Steelers Won't Have To Worry About Drafting DeMarvin Leal 2.0 In First-Round Of 2025 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers have brought in numerous Day 2-caliber players for their Top 30 visits, which is odd considering the fact that they don't have a second-round pick. They also have not spoken with many first-round prospects, even though they are at pick 21. Maybe they want to trade back if a top tier prospect does not fall to them. However, they are scheduled to meet with one high-end player that may or may not be available when Pittsburgh eventually goes on the clock. 

The Steelers will meet with Shemar Stewart, a versatile pass rusher that can either play on the edge, or move inside as a 3-tech. There are a handful of other teams that have either already talked to him or will do so in the upcoming week as well. The only problem for Pittsburgh is that they recently tried drafting a player like him back in 2022, and that experiment has not gone too well. 

During his weekly Q&A chat, insider Ray Fittipaldo was asked about the Steelers possibly being done with experimenting with versatility in the draft, but he explains why there is no reason to believe that, including with Stewart.

"'Chess pieces' or position-less players are all the rage now in the NFL, and the Steelers aren't shying away from them in the pre-draft process," said Fittipaldo. "Last week, they had South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori and this week, Shemar Stewart of Texas A&M is scheduled to come in later this week. Emmanwori is one of the best athletes in the draft and Stewart can play DL or EDGE. I'm sure Stewart would be compared to Leal if he's drafted here because of his tweener status, but they're not the same player. Stewart has much bigger upside."

DeMarvin Leal had a solid rookie campaign, but that was marred by stagnation in 2023. He looked like a bounce-back candidate in 2024, but a major injury ended his season quickly. He is currently projected to be a backup in every spot he can play, and drafting Stewart could result in the end of his tenure in Pittsburgh. 

Leal was a third-round project that has not developed as such yet. Stewart is seen as a guy that can produce in an offense now. Some mock drafts have him being selected early in the teens, so it doesn't seem like the Steelers would be able to draft him, except for one issue that could make him slide.

Steelers Could Still Select Stewart

While Stewart may have the film, he only has 4.5 total sacks in his entire college career. He may have skills and video that translate into the NFL, but the production is not there, and that could scare teams away from drafting the uber-talented tweener in the trenches. Does that scare the Steelers? 

The Steelers do love their versatility, which is why they took a chance on Leal in the first place, along with other players early in recent drafts. They may have not been able to develop him like they hoped so far, but if they think they can do that with Stewart, they would definitely be willing to take that chance on him. Through almost 2/3's of Pittsburgh's Top 30 visits, he might be the only one they spoke with that they have a first-round grade on. 

What do you think about the Steelers drafting Stewart in the first-round, as well as potential comparisons to him and Leal? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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