Demarvin Leal could potentially be the best interior linemen in this draft class. His versatility is what teams will be interested in. While at A&M, he got moved all around the defensive line and boosted his draft stock up. Leal comes from San Antonio, Texas, where he played at Judson High School. In contrast, Leal has been no stranger to accomplishments. In 2021 he was an AP All-American first team member and a Ted Hendricks Award finalist. He was a pivotal player for A&M and was one of the heartbeats of the defense. Furthermore, teams look at who can come in a player in many different roles, and he will be the player teams are wanting.
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Player Bio
Name: Demarvin Leal
Jersey: No. 8
Position: Defensive Lineman
School: Texas A&M
Class: Junior
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 290 lbs
Games Watched: Alabama (2021), South Carolina (2021), LSU (2021), Alabama (2020)
Significant Injury History: None
Player Breakdown
Block Shedding (13/15)
Getting off blocks has never been an issue for Leal. He would take on more prominent interior linemen or more mobile tackles in countless games over his career. Either way, leal has a lot of techniques at his disposal to deal with blockers. While he mainly uses the pull technique exceptionally efficiently, it’s not his only weapon. Furthermore, A&M had him play all across the line of scrimmage, which was a testament to his ability—at the same time, showing everyone that was watching how efficient he is at getting around blocks.
Strength at the LOS (13/15)
At 290 pounds, he uses all of it as strength. He is a force with his knack for using his power to attack linemen either in the run game or as a pass rush. However, he has shown that he isn’t just an interior lineman but also an edge threat. At the same time, he will need to pair another combo move alongside all of his strength.
Pass Rush Ability (13/15)
Leal has a massive frame with the athleticism to pair with it. While at A&M, they lined him all over from a one-technique to a five-technique due to his ability. Leal possesses excellent power and technique when dealing with any defender. One of his best attributes is that he can win with power or agility. He is a force when rushing the passer with great mechanics and hand utilization. However, the one area that he lacks is genuine speed threat on the outside, with his power being his primary technique.
Consistency (13/15)
The best attribute that Leal has is his consistency and motor. Leal is a nightmare of the relentless attack on every snap. When looking at all the games he played, the one thing that stood out was how aggressive he was. However, it does stop when he is no longer in play; if there is a pass to the other side of the field, he won’t chase after it with 100 percent of his energy. At the same time, some don’t mind this because he will give it all at the line of scrimmage it’s worth mentioning. Furthermore, with his motor running high, he constantly threatens to get to the quarterback or blow up a run play.
Push (8/10)
Leal shows that he has tremendous push at the line of scrimmage. With Leal winning close to winning every encounter he has, it’s because of his explosiveness once the ball is snapped. However, he has to get better at hand usage when getting off the snap. During the year, he has engaged his defender with short arms. However, he only shows this when lined up in a two or three-technique. He always engages with long arms when lined up at the four or five-technique. If Leal gets this under control and starts to engage with long arms continually, he could be a monstrous force.
Length Usage (8/10)
As stated before, Leal shows excellent length on the outside and not enough of it on the inside. However, he has still found a way to win both inside and out. While Leal shows so much potential in being a disturbance in the run game, getting better with his length would make it more terrifying. At the same time, he is still a day one starter for whoever drafts him. During his career at A&M, he showed how much he could affect the game by sticking his hand in the air before a pass is thrown. Furthermore, we see just how long he is by sticking his hand in the air forcing the quarterback to change his arm angle.
Athleticism (8.5/10)
Leal has some of the highest athleticism in this class. While he plays physically, he is one of the most dominant defensive players in the draft. At the same time, some people will stick him into one spot on the defensive line. However, he is best suited moving all around the line. Leal has the athleticism to play every position across the line of scrimmage in whichever sub package they have. Due to his athleticism, he won’t be taken off the field in a sub-package; whether it’s in nickel or dime personal, he can be put on the field.
Football IQ (10/10)
A&M having Leal play multiple positions across the line was a testament to his football IQ. Looking at how the coaches spoke of Leal, the one thing that was always talked about was his knowledge of the scheme. He understands how to use the opponent’s leverage against them in the run game. In the passing game, he understands angles and how to find his landmark when rushing the quarterback. Furthermore, Leal always reacts fast and efficiently to screenplays and often disrupts the play.
Player Summary
Leal is an athletics freak that is more than deserving of a first-round pick. However, he will probably fall to the high to the mid-second round due to a loaded draft class. While Leal has a lot of room to grow, he is still a day one starter for any team. He has to disrupt the run, and the passing game teams look at him as a hot commodity. However, due to Covid last year, many players skipped their playing year and are in this draft. Due to this, Leal suffers, and his value goes down. Furthermore, any team that takes him will be getting a barging for their draft pick.
Rookie Projection: Starting Interior Defensive Lineman
Third Year Projection: Versatile Inside/Out Defensive Lineman
Final Grade (86.5/100): Late first-round pick
Player Comp: Chris Jones
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