Entering his second NFL season, the role and overall fit of defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal with the Pittsburgh Steelers remains a bit unclear. Is he an edge? Will he be a true 3-4 defensive end? Is he a sub-package only guy?
Those questions and overall concerns didn’t stop NFL Network’s Adam Rank from tabbing Leal as the Steelers’ breakout player for 2023 on a rather loaded defense under head coach Mike Tomlin and defensive coordinator Teryl Austin.
“A third-round pick in 2022, Leal’s rookie season was limited to 11 games due to injury, but the versatile defensive lineman flashed some intriguing potential,” Rank writes.