Junior | 6’3″ 290 lbs | San Antonio, Texas | 07/01/2000

DeMarvin Leal is a tweener defensive lineman who has the potential to be a great interior pass rusher but lacks the experience playing inside.

Overview:

DeMarvin Leal joined Mike Elko’s Texas A&M defense in the 2019 class, where he was ranked 16th nationally and the number two defensive tackle in the nation per 247 Sports. The highly touted defensive linemen out of Judson High School in Texas has done well in the SEC through two seasons and enters his junior season looking to build on the momentum.

Leal is a versatile piece of the front four in Elko’s modified 4-2-5 scheme where the front four and two linebackers apply pressure upfield as single gap shooters. Leal spents the majority of his time on the edge, but has also shifted inside and played 3 technique defensive tackle.

Strengths:

• Elite athleticism possessing good length, good speed, and great strength which helps him beat linemen at the point of attack
• Has the strength to consistently drive offensive linemen back into the pocket and hold gaps against the run.
• Great balance at the point of attack with a strong, controlled lower body allowing him to own leverage. Rarely moved off balance once engaged.
• Good football IQ, instincts, and mental alertness. Keeps his head up when engaged to diagnose and adjust to the football. 
• Above average in pursuit. Able to close on a play from behind quickly.
• Great against inside run, leverages strength to force linemen into the gap or utilizes his strong base to position himself in the gap. 
• Makes it difficult to run outside due to his ability to pursue and his length. Forces running backs further outside, allowing support to arrive.
• Great tackler, significant tackling radius, and hits with power.
• Active and strong hands when engaging linemen able to push them off balance or knock their arms away.
• His motor is always running, able to chase down ball carriers at the second level or hunt them down from the backside.

Areas To Improve:

• Lacks consistent, winning repertoire of moves on the edge. Unable to consistently find a way to win with a variety of pass rush moves.
• Relies too much on his bull rush and struggles to counter if the linemen are able to get his hands on him 
• Doesn’t have the first step quickness to challenge tackles from the edge.
• Lacks winning bend and flexibility, puts him at a disadvantage as tackles have an easier time of keeping him in front of them.
• Tendency to over commit to going after QB due to driving offensive linemen back and has to pursue the run vs. Keeping the run in front of him.

Injury Concerns:

• Leal missed his freshman spring drills with a slight cartilage tear in his knee. The team opted to sew versus clip so as not to lose the cartilage.

Projection:

DeMarvin Leal is a tweener defensive lineman who has mostly played on the edge for the Aggies. However, he projects best as a 3-technique in the NFL due to his size and his ability to penetrate gaps. He has the ability to play on the edge as well but will be hampered at the next level due to his mediocre first step and lack of bend when rushing from the outside. On the inside, the issue is whether or not he’ll have the strength and stoutness to play every down in the interior of the defensive line as he only lined up inside occasionally in college. He could become an elite interior rusher if he can improve his arsenal of pass rush moves.

Leal has elite athleticism for the defensive line with strength, length, speed, a relentless motor, and a strong lower body. He has great football IQ and instincts; he is also is ultra-competitive, which should position him well to be a leader along a team’s defensive line. Leal has a good understanding of gap control and leverage, which makes him a strong defender against the pass and the run. He’s great in pursuit and has a great tackle radius to pair with great tackle strength. If he plays the same role this year as last, expect Leal to be an intriguing tweener with high first-round potential and a likely starter for a team that will be creative enough to maximize his sky-high interior pass-rushing potential.

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