Steelers 2-a-days: Will DL DeMarvin Leal play on edge? Can Isaiahh Loudermilk take step in Year 3?
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Editor’s note: From the end of minicamp through the day the team reports to training camp at Saint Vincent, the Trib will be running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, assessing each player’s outlook for the 2023 season. The breakdown will go through the roster in mostly alphabetical order, (at least) two per day, from June 16-July 26. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.
DL DEMARVIN LEAL
Experience: 2nd season
Contract status: $1.18 million cap hit in 2023, signed through 2025
2023 outlook: An intriguing third-round pick after a quality college career in the SEC, Leal was expected to make an impact as a rookie last season. And — aside from injury — he did. Just not necessarily in the way he was expected to.
Drafted as a defensive lineman, officially listed that way and largely repping with that group in practice (though the lines are blurred for positional workouts), Leal during his 11 games played just as often as what the Steelers would call an “outside linebacker.” According to Pro Football Focus, Leal played 64 snaps at a defensive tackle spot, 69 at one of the outside linebacker positions and 35 as what might be described as a hybrid of the two — what PFF loosely calls “outside of end.”
Leal and Steelers defensive coaches remain mostly coy about what Leal will play in 2023, likely in part because that still is being formulated. It also might be dependent on game plan and opponent, and on injury to other Steelers players. After all, it reasonably could be assumed the Steelers leaned so much (relatively speaking) on Leal to play on the edge last season only because they had so many injuries and so little depth there.
But by design or accident, did the Steelers find something in Leal as an OLB? The 6-foot-4, 290-pound former Texas A&M defender certainly looks the part, both in body type and skillset. Production largely was lacking as a rookie (no sacks or QB hits, 14 total tackles, eight solo tackles, one for loss) but Leal appeared to be disruptive during games. He was credited with three batted-down passes.
Leal, who missed six games and had minor knee surgery last season, is one of the more intriguing players on the roster in 2023. He has enough talent that he could be in line for one of coach Mike Tomlin’s patented “Year 2 leaps.” But what position(s) will Leal play? And how much can he play on a team that has Cameron Heyward, Larry Ogunjobi, rookie second-round pick Keeanu Benton, T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Markus Golden among its corps of defensive linemen and edge rushers?
DeMarvin Leal on OTAs, Larry Ogunjobi, and more.
Nick Herbig on learning, playing on the same team as his brother, and more. pic.twitter.com/MDYV3cgFZi
— Steelers Live (@SteelersLive) June 8, 2023
DL ISAIAHH LOUDERMILK
Experience: 3rd season
Contract status: $1.02 million cap hit in 2023, signed through 2024
2023 outlook: As a rookie and headed into his second year, Loudermilk had the look of a player well in the Steelers’ future plans on their defensive line. But Loudermilk seemed to regress last season, being activated for fewer games (11 after playing 15 as a rookie in 2021) and playing fewer defensive snaps when he did suit up (18% in 2022, dropping from 29% in 2021). The Steelers have also drafted a defensive lineman (Leal and Benton) on Day 2 in each of the two springs since they traded into the fifth round to take Loudermilk in 2021. In other words, Loudermilk’s projected spot on a future depth chart is lower than it perhaps was when he first arrived.
At 6-7, 249, Loudermilk has size and length the Steelers like. He did not make much of a statistical impact in 2022: seven tackles (four solo, none for loss), no sacks, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries, batted-down balls or QB hits, and just one “pressure” as defined by PFF.
On a team that has plenty of options for depth on the defensive line, it is not out of the question that the Steelers elect to go with more veteran-type backups behind their starters this season. Still, Loudermilk has a demeanor and intangible quality that is liked by those within the organization. But 2023 might be his last real shot to prove he can be a significant part of a rotation on the D-line.
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