DL Leal has potential to bolster run defense
Versatile Texas A&M lineman should fit into 3-4 scheme well right away
Scouts have had plenty to say about the Steelers’ draft picks in the weeks since the NFL draft. But what do those who’ve watched them closest think of their fit with their new team? The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is finding out with questions for beat writers who covered each pick in college. The Saturday Down South’s Connor O’Gara gives us the scoop on third-round pick DeMarvin Leal.
Q: Over at Pro Football Focus, Leal’s pass rush, run defense and overall grades were all down sharply from 2020. This at the same time he was playing more snaps than ever before in college. Is it possible he may have been overexposed a bit? Could there be some motor issues in there, as well? Or is it more complicated than that?
A: I noticed that, as well. To be honest, I think you answered the question right there. One of the things I love about Leal is that he never leaves the field. I’m not worried about the guy’s motor. He played so much because he’s not just a nose tackle who leaves the field on third down like Jordan Davis (whom I still love). That can also hurt you with something like PFF grades. Shoot, Will Anderson wasn’t even a top-five graded edge rusher in FBS last year. Why? He tied for the most snaps played among all FBS edge rushers. With Leal, that sophomore season set such a high bar. Entering 2021, he was PFF’s only Power Five
edge rusher with grades of 80.0 as a run defender and as a pass rusher. Teams game-planned against him. He was also part of a loaded defensive line who had guys making plays all year, so he sometimes was tasked with taking on double teams instead of pinning his ears back and blowing up a ballcarrier in the backfield. I’ll be interested to see what it looks like when he’s not playing just shy of 60 snaps per game.
Q: His stock among scouts took a hit because of poor performances against top prospects including Alabama’s Evan Neal and Ole Miss’s Charles Cross. What did you see in those games that you think may be instructive for his potential at the next level?
A: The funny thing about that Leal-Neal matchup is if you would’ve just looked at the 2020 game, you would’ve said the exact opposite. Leal ate up Neal. But I’d agree that Neal got the better of him a year later, and that could’ve definitely played a part in that matchup. Whether that alone should’ve dropped Leal’s draft stock significantly, well, I’d say that’s cherry-picking a bit. Go figure that Leal had two sacks in that game against Ole Miss, one of which came on a play in which Cross actually held up pretty well in pass protection. Cross dominated everyone in pass protection this past year, and watching that back, it looked like he also got the better of Leal, but it was by no means pure domination. One of the things I like about Leal is that he has the awareness to get his hands up to tip a pass in a spot like that where he isn’t getting to the quarterback. I thought Leal’s draft stock fell more so because he was considered a tweener who was more dominant as a sophomore than he was in his pre-draft season.
Q: Run defense is a top concern for many Steelers fans after the way the defense was shredded in that department in 2021, so I’ll ask this simply for their benefit: How much can he help immediately in that department?
A: I absolutely think that’s the first area where he’ll be able to help out. I watched him bully tackles and guards in the ground game for an A&M run defense that was admittedly better in 2020 (No. 2 in FBS), but still allowed just six rushing scores all year. Leal wasn’t one of those guys who left the field in short-yardage situations. The former fivestar recruit has that power and technique to contain ballcarriers at the next level. When I specifically think of Leal’s best plays in his career, I default to his run-stopping plays. Against Colorado after starting quarterback Haynes King went down with a season-ending injury, Leal bullrushed this poor tackle and proceeded to throw the tailback down like a rag doll for a 5-yard loss. I don’t expect he’ll do things like that from the jump,but his run-stuffing ability should elevate his floor and
make him an immediate contributor in the rotation.
Q: Another common criticism I’ve seen from scouts is that his pass rush is a little slow in getting home. How hopeful are you that he can make progress on that front between the extra bulk the Steelers believe he can add and the exposure to the Steelers’ many veterans along the defensive line?
A: That’s a fair critique. He’s been more of a power guy than a speed guy throughout his career. He’s 6-4, but he’s pretty much been at the same
size since he was a freshman at A&M. That’s because he could do everything Mike Elko needed him to do at that size. It’s not like he was asked to get up to 320 pounds and he hovered at 290. Now, though, his role should be a bit more defined. For what it’s worth, I’m still optimistic that he can provide a presence rushing the passer, no matter where he lines up. That part of his game will just take a bit longer to develop. Motor won’t be an issue. Harking back to the snap count thing, none of those edge guys who played more snaps than Leal (he played 698) were tipping the scales at 280 like Leal. The guy has always carried his weight well. I don’t expect that changing, even if he adds that bulk.
Q: What do you think of his fit with the Steelers’ 3-4 base defense, which is pretty rare in the pros these days?
A: I’d be surprised if he wasn’t a 3-4 defensive end. Let him stick his hand in the dirt and do the dirty work. Elko would sometimes line him as a 4-3 defensive end/ Jack linebacker, but if and when Leal puts on some weight, I can’t see that being his role. Leal can help free up T.J. Watt or Devin Bush to make plays in the backfield. That’s where his impact will be felt as he figures out he is in a new scheme. Maybe he won’t rack up a ton of stats in Year 1, but I loved the value that the Steelers got with him in Round 3. His versatility and willingness to line up in multiple spots made him such a valuable asset on one of the country’s better defenses the last two seasons. It wouldn’t surprise me if he got a second contract and eventually became a fan favorite in Pittsburgh.