Teryl Austin Raves About Trajectory of DeMarvin Leal
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal is looking for a bounce-back year in 2024. Leal fell out of favor last season, as he did not play 10 snaps in a game after Week 10. He wasn’t dressed at all for four of the team’s final five games.
Leal’s rookie year wasn’t statistically dominant, but he at least showed promise. Mike Tomlin put Leal on notice during his season-ending press conference in January.
“There certainly is, but he’s got to be a component of that,” Tomlin said when asked by Alan Saunders of Steelers Now if he still sees a place for Leal in the team’s future plans. “Obviously, we put helmets on guys that we think are best positioned to help us secure victory and he hadn’t been a component of that. And so, he’s got some work to do.”
It appears that Leal has responded to that message. Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said at minicamp on Wednesday that Leal’s on the right path after a down year.
“[Leal] was a little bit more up and down,” Austin said of Leal’s 2023 campaign. “But [he’s] looked outstanding [this offseason].”
Leal attributed last year struggles to poor conditioning and technique, according to an interview at OTAs in May with Christopher Carter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
“Technique, just working on my technique,” Leal told Carter. “Making sure that I come back in better shape than I did last year and just making sure I’m technically sound. Feel like that’s the biggest thing coming off of this second year. Technique I feel is what was my downfall. So made sure I got with some defensive line coaches. Got together, and just came up with a plan and got to it.”
Austin confirmed at minicamp that Leal is in phenomenal shape. He expects a big year from the Texas A&M product.
“Marv looks like he’s in great shape. Really runs through the ball. Really doing some good things. It’ll be a big year for him,” Austin said.
In 2022, Leal played 1-4 snaps as an edge rusher, 20 snaps over the tackle as a 3-4 end and 43 snaps as an interior defensive lineman, according to PFF’s charting.
Former Steelers outside linebacker Arthur Moats thinks Leal has Stephon Tuitt-like traits, but he has to display better technique.
“He reminds me of Tuitt when I’m watching,” he said on the The Arthur Moats Experience With Deke podcast last month. “And I loved Tuitt. He has everything to do it, he just needs to buckle down. I’m hoping [2023] was a wake up.
“I felt personally that him switching positions as much as it was happening, his technique when he was supposed to be back as an interior d-lineman wasn’t as crisp and fundamentally sound. You’ll see him penetrate at times and see him make a play, but when you’re trying to bump back in and do what you need to do, that pad level isn’t where it needs to be, and the hand placement isn’t where it needs to be.”
Nick Farabaugh contributed reporting from Pittsburgh.
Read This Next
