The Pittsburgh Steelers have completed the first week of Organized Team Activities (OTAs), meaning that the race to be one of the best 53 players on the team has begun. Certainly, there are players that are locks to make the team, but there are several players on the outskirts of the roster still trying to prove their value.
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Steelers' Connor Heyward (#83) runs through drills during the team's second day of 2024 OTAs in Pittsburgh, PA.
The Steelers have made bolstering the trenches a major priority in the 2024 offseason, adding several pieces to both the offensive and defensive lines. Quality starters are always the goal, but the mark of a solid team is in its depth for when injuries inevitably happen. Cameron Heyward clearly headlines the defensive line's room, but at the age of 35 and in the final year of his contract, finding the next great player for the line has been imperative for the Steelers.
Keeanu Benton showed that he can be a key contributor to the room as a rookie in 2023, but others like Larry Ogunjobi, Montravius Adams, rookie Logan Lee, and free-agent signing Dean Lowry will all push for snaps as well. This doesn't leave a lot of room for guys like DeMarvin Leal to see the field and make an impact.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers defensive lineman Keeanu Benton runs through a drill during a team practice.
This hasn't stopped Leal from attempting to earn snaps, and become the player the Steelers envisioned he would be when they drafted him in 2022. He recently said that he knows he needs to take a big jump.
"I've been in this defense for three years now. I know the defense. This offseason has been about straight technique. I'm working on my technique and my body. I feel like there's a good chance it's going to happen this year."
Steelers And Leal Have Had Interesting Journey
Coming out of college, Leal was viewed by some as a steal of the draft finishing his college career with 133 tackles and 13 sacks. This production got him selected in the third round out of Texas A&M, where the hope was that he could be a hybrid of Heyward and Stephon Tuitt. Unfortunately, Leal hasn't been able to make that impact in his 23 career games, posting 29 total tackles and a sack in two full seasons in Pittsburgh.
AP Photo
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive linemen, Stephon Tuitt (#91) and Cam Heyward (#97) celebrate at Heinz field in a regular season game against the Seattle Seahawks.
With Omar Khan working diligently to clean up positional rooms, already doing so to the inside linebacker and quarterback positions, it feels like the amount of new faces to the defensive line is the signal of change to come. For Leal to stick, not only must he perform on the field when opportunities are given to him, but he must earn the trust of his coaches to get on in the first place.
"Honestly, I just get closer to [Karl] Dunbar. That's the main goal. I have to prove to myself and to my coach that I should be out there. I have to be able to say, 'We can make money together.'"
Head Coach Mike Tomlin is a firm believer in competition. It enables him to get the best out of his players. Leal may not be in a contract year in 2024, as his rookie contract ends in 2025, but if Leal hopes to remain a Steeler, it seems as though he realizes this season is his last chance to do so.
"It's Year 3, It's Time."
Leal currently is buried deep in the Steelers depth chart, and will need to shine this offseason. Injuries haven't been the thing that has bogged down his career, rather it has been his inability to make himself shine amongst other players on the roster.
With players like Benton and Isaiahh Loudermilk earning snaps ahead of him in 2023, Leal was hardly able to get on the field which is why his roster spot is in jeopardy in 2024. Leal could see the practice squad, but is looking to avoid the fate of other recent defensive line picks by the Steelers who are no longer on the roster.
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