3 positive takeaways from Steelers OTAs and 2 areas of concern
By Tommy Jaggi
DeMarvin Leal looks like a tweener in a bad way
Something that Nick Farabaugh of Pittsburgh Sports Now pointed out is that DeMarvin Leal may have dropped some mass in his lower half. I would have to agree. Videos of Leal running through drills make him look undersized compared to his interior defensive line counterparts.
This isn't what you want to see from a player who is coming off a full offseason in an NFL weight room. Leal entered the NFL Combine last year at 6'3 7/8'' and just 283 pounds. This is largely because he played base defensive end at Texas A&M, but he's just not athletic enough to stick on the edge in the NFL.
Leal is going to have to earn his bread on the interior defensive line, so it's a bit disappointing that the doesn't look bigger or thicker than he did last year. Looks can be deceiving, and this may not be the case, but we were looking for a body transformation for a player who needs to get bigger and stronger.
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My fear is that Leal is going to be a tweener in a bad way. The Steelers will continue to play him some on the edge and some inside, but he just may not have a niche if he doesn't have the speed as an edge rusher or the power necessary to hold up in the middle. Let's hope that's not the case.