The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Texas A&M DL DeMarvin Leal with the 84th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the team’s third-round pick.
Leal is a long and versatile defender who broke out in 2021 with 12 tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks. He is another underclassmen after WR George Pickens, who also declared a year earlier. Leal weighed 6037, 283 pounds with 33 1/4 inch arms.
Pittsburgh is expanding its line of defense to bring youngsters forward and protect against the uncertainty of Stephon Tuitt’s status in 2022. Defensive Coach Karl Dunbar attended Leal’s Pro Day earlier this year.
In his three-year career, Leal recorded 25 tackles for loss with 13 sacks, five pass deviations and two forced fumbles.
New defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said Austin is capable of playing down the line, although he expects to start as a defensive end.
Watch Leal get the call.
This is DeMarvin Leal speaking to Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike Tomlin.
Steelers drafted him in the 3rd round in 84th overall. #NFL Draft @boimarv9 @JudsonFootball @InstantReplaySA #GigEm pic.twitter.com/ubT3gjCIdq— Larry Ramirez (@LRam2) April 30, 2022
In our scouting report, our Jonathan Heitritter wrote:
“Overall, DeMarvin Leal is a bit of a tweener at this point, having the athleticism to line up on the outside and come off the edge as a 4-3-DE, but also the size to step inside and rush over guard its speed and quickness to shoot gaps and have a disruptive presence in the interior. While he has good functional athleticism and versatility, Leal needs to develop more skill to be a more consistent running defender, as well as his ability to exit blocks more consistently, rather than relying on extended plays to give him a shot at which he can work to put pressure on the QB. Developing quality counterplay as a rusher and getting stronger with your bottom half will be key to how successful Leal is at the next level.”
Check out our full profile below.
2022 NFL Draft Player Profiles: Texas A&M DL DeMarvin Leal