DeMarvin Leal, a third-year defensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers, seemed to be a different player since the OTAs and mandatory minicamp – in a good way.
In a pivotal year of his NFL career, Leal found his feet, got his body in shape and became more comfortable with the playbook, leading to a very strong spring that earned him high praise from defensive line coach Karl Dunbar.
The question was whether that would translate to training camp. And that’s exactly what Leal did: He got off to a fast start in training camp, turned heads and caused quite a stir. Ultimately, it was about translating that to situations in the stadium.
Leal checked that box last Friday in the Steelers’ season opener against the Houston Texans.
He had 33 defensive touches and finished with three tackles and a sack. He showed good hand use and power on offense and also utilized his athleticism on the interior.
Against the Texans, Leal received an overall rating of 81.2 from Pro Football Focus, including a 72.8 against the run and a 72.3 as a pass rusher. He also created three total pressure situations on the night.
At first glance, it was a solid performance overall, and the All-22 tape confirmed that. Let’s dive into the tape.
Leal’s technique, particularly his hand use, was a problem as a sophomore. Last season, he couldn’t get off the block, largely due to not staying clean on his initial hand use.
He worked on it in the offseason and showed that he can implement it in games.
On his first play of the game, Leal made an impression as a run defender.
Good first hit to the offensive lineman’s chest to keep it clean. Then he can swim the blocker’s hands down and get under him to get into the hole.
Although he is not credited with the tackle, it was good work by Leal to work his way into the back gap and cut off the cutback lane.
On the very next rep, Leal again does a good job of using his hands, gaining control and clogging things up.
Here, too, he shows a good leg swing, forcing the blocker into the hole and blowing everything up.
We never really saw much power from Leal last year, but he showed it quite a bit in training camp and here against the Texans. When he gets his hands on you lately, he gets the reputation. That was a big thing for him and it was great to see that in the game.
Leal’s handball use against the Texans was particularly evident in his sack of quarterback Davis Mills in the second quarter.
In the past, Leal has relied solely on his athleticism to pass rush without really having a plan of attack. While that is still in development, it was nice to see him fight free with his hands and finish with a twirling attack for the sack.
Here he did a good job of putting his inside hand on the blocker’s chest and keeping the blocker at a distance, but at the same time allowing him to look into the backfield and see what was developing there.
Once he sees Mills rolling to his right, Leal works the crack underneath with his inside hand, frees himself, and takes it right to Mills for the big sack.
Later in the game, Leal showed off his ability to smack away blockers’ hands as a pass rusher and then had the speed and athleticism needed to evade pressure.
This is a good plan of attack for Leal.
He knows he’s lined up outside the guard before the snap and wants to use the stick based on what the guard has done. Leal times the snap well and waits for the guard to extend his hands. As soon as he sees it, he hits the stick perfectly, knocking the lineman’s hands away and giving himself a clean rush.
From then on, Leal’s speed and athleticism take over, allowing him to push forward and evade pressure.
Luckily for the Texans, it was a quick strike, allowing Mills to get rid of the ball quickly. Otherwise, Leal would have his second sack of the game.
In closing, I’d like to say that this was my favorite clip of Leal. It’s not pressure. It’s not his sack. But this one is the best for me.
Last season, Leal was sometimes pressured in the running game. This season, at least he has fought back against the Texans and held up very well.
He’s so quick to the ball here and knows what’s coming. He can swim around the first blocker and still stay in the hole. He takes on the second blocker and has the strength to stand firm at the point of attack and clog everything up.
Watch him still looking for the ball as he does this. In the second block he essentially makes two gaps. He finds the ball, gets his head to the play side and goes into the tackle after a short win.
That’s a very encouraging statement from Leal, who faced some questions about his weight and strength on the defensive line in the NFL, with backups and reserve players at the helm, but Leal has proven his worth in the season opener, building on a very strong spring and a good start to training camp.
For Leal, the arrow is clearly pointing upwards.
