Steelers A to Z: DeMarvin Leal entering make-or-break season in NFL journey

Editor’s note: From now until the first practice of training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2024 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with at least two players each day between June 14 and July 25. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.

DE DeMarvin Leal

Experience/age: Third season/Turned 24 on July 1

Contract status: $1,414,608 cap hit this season, signed through 2025

The past: When the Steelers used a third-round draft pick in 2022 to select Leal from Texas A&M, he showed glimpses of justifying the second-day selection. Leal made two starts as a rookie and appeared in 11 games while playing one quarter of the defensive snaps.

Big strides were expected for Leal last year, the kind that head coach Mike Tomlin openly talks about when referencing players heading into their second NFL seasons. Leal, though, didn’t make that anticipated progression.

Leal started the first three games of the 2023 season, then just one more the rest of the way. He was on the game-day inactives list five times, including the final three games of the regular season. He also was inactive for the wild-card playoff game at Buffalo.

Leal played more snaps last season than in his rookie year, but the Steelers were looking for more consistency from him.

Among the bright spots were Leal collecting his first career sack along with his first two quarterback hits.

2024 outlook: Leal is at a crossroads in his fledgling Steelers career. Coming off a disappointing season, he needs to impress the coaching staff in training camp to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

The Steelers continue to have an aging defensive line, and they have tried with mixed results to infuse youth into the group. Before Leal, the Steelers drafted Isaiahh Loudermilk. Last year, defensive tackle Keeanu Benton was added to the mix in the second round. This year, the Steelers used a sixth-round pick on Logan Lee.

With all these moving pieces, plus the addition of eighth-year veteran Dean Lowry, Leal faces serious challenges to his roster spot. When productive, he can be a vital member of the defensive line rotation, a player capable of playing outside linebacker in a pinch.

Leal risks being left behind if he doesn’t rise to the challenge in training camp and the preseason.