DeMarvin Leal
Getty
Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport named Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman and former third-round pick DeMarvin Leal a preseason cut candidate.
Defensive lineman DeMarvin Leal could be a trade candidate for the Pittsburgh Steelers this preseason. A former third-round pick, Leal hasn’t panned out in three seasons for the Steelers, and the team added defensive linemen Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black in the 2025 NFL Draft.
But if the Steelers can’t trade Leal, then he is potentially a cut candidate this preseason.
On August 14, Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport included Leal on his list of “one player each NFL team should cut” prior to the 2025 regular season.
“Over three seasons with the Steelers, former third-round pick DeMarvin Leal has been mostly invisible. He has started just six games, played just 432 snaps and logged just one sack,” wrote Davenport.
“Leal is a rare physical specimen at 6’4″ and 290 pounds, but so far, his size/speed combo has meant nothing between the lines. And with Pittsburgh adding Ohio State’s Jack Sawyer to a room with two established starters in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, switching positions isn’t going to save Leal’s roster spot.”
The Steelers drafted Leal at No. 84 overall in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He started two games as a rookie but only played 175 defensive snaps in 2022.
Leal has dealt with a variety of injuries over the past three seasons. Last year, he dressed for five games. Leal ended the 2024 season on injured reserve because of a neck issue.