Defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal had a rough 2023 season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. A third-round pick in 2022, he was expected to fill in as an athletic but slightly undersized defensive lineman. In his rookie season, he switched over to play some outside linebacker when T.J. Watt was lost with injury, but Leal wasn’t able to carve out a consistent role. With just 15 tackles and one sack across inconsistent 2023 play, Leal’s roster spot looked vulnerable heading into 2024.
However, according to defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, Leal’s turned things around drastically this summer. Austin spoke with reporters today, and via Yardbarker’s Aaron Becker, Austin said that if the Steelers needed Leal to play outside linebacker, he could.