After facing challenges in finding the right position in the NFL, Steelers defender DeMarvin Leal, now in his third year, is expected to transition to outside linebacker this season in Pittsburgh.
In college at Texas A&M, Leal mainly played as a large edge rusher. However, during his last season, he had more opportunities on the inside, which led many to predict he would switch positions in the pros. He added weight for that role as a rookie but switched between playing on the interior and on the edge during his first two years. In 2024, Leal mainly played as an outside linebacker before being placed on injured reserve due to a neck injury.
Now, the 2022 third-round draft pick is ready to make this position change permanent. According to Mark Kaboly from the Pat McAfee Show, he has been practicing as an outside linebacker during the Steelers’ OTAs and will likely serve as a backup behind T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith.
Interestingly, Kaboly notes that Leal appears “noticeably bigger” than last season. His weight has varied since he joined the league, but he is currently listed at 290 pounds on the Steelers’ website, which may not reflect his latest status. Since he was drafted as a larger edge defender, gaining weight for the OLB role in Pittsburgh’s 3-4 defense seems unusual, especially since Leal wasn’t known for being an elite athlete given his size.
On the other hand, Highsmith has been guiding Leal through this position change despite their different weights for outside linebackers.
“He got some experience as a rookie, and he learned from those experiences a couple of years ago that help him be versatile,” Highsmith said (via Kaboly). “He is someone you want to keep supporting so he can improve.”
