Just hours before the NFL roster cutdown deadline, ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers are releasing DeMarvin Leal. The 2022 third-round draft pick bounced around the defensive line, offering depth as an outside linebacker and an interior defender. Unfortunately, Leal was never able to stick.
Leal was a tweener in a bad way. Entering the 2022 NFL Draft, the Texas A&M product stood at 6'3 7/8'' and 283 pounds with 33 1/4'' arms. However, his 5.00 40-yard dash time and 28-inch vertical jump proved that he didn't have the athletic traits of a player with high upside.
Leal was too slow to be an effective edge rusher and too small to be a full-time defensive tackle. This odd body type made many fans question his fit on the Steelers' 3-4 base defense... and those questions were justified.
The busted third-round pick is officially off the Pittsburgh Steelers after failing to make it through his rookie contract. Leal appeared in 28 games in his first three NFL seasons, but recorded just 33 tackles, one sack, three tackles for a loss, and three quarterback hits.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have cleansing its roster of the Kevin Colbert era
The final five years of the Kevin Colbert era in Pittsburgh proved to be a nightmare. Though Colbert was seen as a great general manager early in his tenure with the team, his final five NFL Drafts were disastrous. The latest release is just further proof.
Leal was one of seven players taken by the Steelers in the 2022 NFL Draft. Now only two remain: wide receiver Calvin Austin III and tight end Connor Heyward—neither of which has been considered a difference-maker on the Steelers' roster.
Because of his former third-round pick status and his reputation as a five-star recruit, there was optimism that Pittsburgh would be able to trade Leal for a late-round pick swap instead of cutting him outright. Unfortunately, nothing materialized, and Leal is out of a job with nothing to show for it.
Still just 25 years old, Leal now hits the waiver wire and could land on his feet with another team soon. The Steelers, meanwhile, have their four edge rushers in place with T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and fourth-round rookie Jack Sawyer.