DeMarvin

Leal

Leal was replaced on the active roster by OLB Ade Ogundeji. Pittsburgh is also elevating RB Jonathan Ward and OLB Eku Leota from the practice squad this week. The Steelers now have 13 players on injured reserve.

Leal (6’4/283) is an early declare fresh off a junior season in which he totaled 58 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss, and 8.5 sacks – all career-highs. After his standout 2021 season, Leal was named a consensus All-American and first-team All-SEC, totaling 37 quarterback pressures and 32 stops in run defense per PFF. Leal is a bit of a tweener given his size and lined up often at defensive end and defensive tackle. He lacks elite speed, running a 5.00 40-yard dash at the Combine, but showed good agility in the 20-yard shuttle with a time of 4.49. Leal possesses a good straight-line rush and hand usage, and he has a spin move that has left opposing blockers dumbfounded. Given his unique size and skillset, Leal is a player who could see time at every position along the defensive front.

Leal (6'4/290) is coming in as one of the better defensive linemen in this draft as he posted 12.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, and 58 tackles, which led all SEC defensive linemen. He’s a prospect that you clearly see uses his size and athleticism and uses those physical traits to make smart football decisions. Butler compared Neal to Ndamukong Suh which is high praise as he’s been one of the best interior linemen in the league for a while. Both players are extremely strong and athletic for their size and Butler believes as Neal continues to grow, he’ll only get better

Leal (6'4/290) is one of the top defensive linemen in the nation and is ranked as the 12th overall prospect on Mel Kiper’s recent big board. He was a force to be reckoned with this season posting 12.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and 58 tackles, which led all SEC defensive linemen. He also recorded 37 total pressures and 32 stops while lining up all over the defensive formation, with 415 snaps coming on the edge and 173 in the B-Gap. His 16.7 percent missed tackle rate could use some work, but you don’t find many 290 pounders who have the speed to handle edge work on the SEC and wreak havoc in the manner that Leal did over the past two seasons. He is a surefire first-round selection with the potential to land in the top half of the round if he has a good showing in the post-season evaluation process.

Leal (6'4/290) is a defensive end/three-tech tweener who has shown the ability to generate pressure from the inside or edge. Last year he posted 47 tackles, 2.5 sacks, one interception and a forced fumble alongside fourth round LA Rams draft selection Bobby Brown III. The talented DL earned a stellar PFF overall defensive grade of 88.3 and is poised to improve with another year of development under his belt.

Leal (6'4/290) had a good 2020 campaign, as he accounted for 37 total tackles (7.5 for loss), 2.5 sacks and one interception. But he could be poised for even bigger things with that additional season of experience under his belt. “This year he will be a force and will continue to free up others to make big plays, but he will also finish more,” Farrell wrote. “The step from sophomore to junior is going to be a massive one for Leal, and he could move into top-five status before all is said and done.” Leal said during spring practice that he was being used at both tackle and end, with the position depending upon the game situation.

Leal (6'4/290) is shaping up to be a bit of a hybrid player for the Aggies in 2021. Per Leal himself, the Aggies defense requires him to play both inside and outside, depending on the package. This could mean kicking out a bigger body like Leal wider than usual, particularly for third-down blitz packages that feature linebackers peppered over the middle. Watch out for Leal moving around a bit next season.

Leal (6'4/280) commits to the Aggies just days after attending the A&M spring game. He’s the third defensive line pledge in the cycle for HC Jimbo Fisher, who started slow on the recruiting front with his new program this winter before coming on like gangbusters to close the 2018 cycle in strong fashion. Fisher and crew are off and running with the 2019 class, though, with Leal’s pledge helping to place them at No. 5 on the 247Sports team rankings board. For his part, the defensive tackle is one of the more intriguing defensive linemen in the country, as he’s shown plus skills at both defensive tackle and defensive end. He offers a strong burst off the snap and is one of the quicker line prospects in the 2019 class.

Outlet analyst Woody Wommack notes that Leal was receiving little buzz for a star upgrade heading into his senior season of high school ball. That changed after the 6-foot-4, 280-pounder out of Converse, Texas, put everything together during the fall, capping his big final year off with a standout performance at the U.S. Army All-American Game earlier this month. Wommack notes that Leal possesses “size, speed, athleticism and playmaking ability.” Rivals currently ranks him as the No. 10 overall prospect in the 2019 class.

We were hoping to get our first look at Leal -- who signed on as a five-star recruit in December -- upcoming, but looks like that will have to wait until the summer. Texas A&M HC Jimbo Fisher referred to the 6-foot-4, 280-pounder’s knee issue as a minor one and expects him to be ready to roll come August camp. That this is not viewed as a long-term issue is encouraging, though Leal’s missing spring practice does figure to put him at something of a depth chart disadvantage heading into the warmer months.