Player superlatives for the Steelers 2022 NFL Draft picks

Steelers worst fit

While one can’t argue against the value of the DeMarvin Leal selection, I’m not quite sure he has a natural place along the Steelers defensive line. While he was once seen as a lock to go in the first round, a lack of push as a run defender really tanked his draft stock. That said, he has a lot of positive traits to his game and was easily worth more than a third-round pick.

Leal’s calling card at the next level will be as a pass rusher. He has a great set of pass rush moves for an interior lineman and he can win in a variety of ways. On the other side of things, he was a liability as a run stopper as he constantly got pushed around this past season when opposing offenses ran the ball. Unless he gets those issues squared away, Leal won’t become a traditional starter with his current issues in the run game.

The other issue is his size, and long-term I believe this will genuinely keep him as a sub-package player only. He is on the shorter side for a defensive lineman, and he has shorter arms. Typically, the Steelers like their ends to be tall and long, so Leal doesn’t fit that mold. I think he can be a fin pass-rusher in nickel and dime defense, but his fit as a traditional starter is suspect, to say the least.