DeMarvin Leal NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report for Texas A&M DL
HEIGHT: 6'3 7/8"
WEIGHT: 283
HAND: 9 1/2"
ARM: 33 1/4"
WINGSPAN: 6'8 3/8"
40-YARD DASH: 5.00
3-CONE: DNP
SHUTTLE: 4.49
VERTICAL: 27.5"
BROAD: 8'10"
POSITIVES
— Great explosiveness. Comes off the ball well and gains ground in a hurry after changing directions.
— Smooth mover in space. Can cover ground and change directions comfortably.
— Nimble feet. Gives Leal more options in space as a pass-rusher.
— Flashes of good ability to turn and get skinny when ripping across to another gap.
— Has a reliable jump-swipe move and inside spin.
— Played all over the line. Will be a chesspiece in the NFL.
NEGATIVES
— Poor physicality. No punch in the run game; never tries to play through blockers.
— Poor anchor versus the run. Consistently gets washed out of plays or locked out if on the edge. Cannot handle double-teams.
— Stalls out on interior pass-rushing reps as a result of poor leg drive and power.
— Below-average bend and flexibility for a pass-rusher when playing on the edge.
2021 STATISTICS
11 G, 58 TOT, 12.5 TFL, 8.5 SK, 1 FF
NOTES
— 5-star recruit in 2019.
— 2021 first-team All-SEC.
— 2021 AP first-team All-American.
OVERALL
DeMarvin Leal is a better prospect in theory than in practice. A 5-star recruit who can fly off the ball and took snaps at a variety of positions sounds like an easy star, but Leal's film makes his evaluation trickier than that. Though Leal saw plenty of time at 3-tech, 5-tech and 6-tech, he is an incomplete projection at all three spots.
As a 3-tech, Leal does a great job of coming off the ball and using his light feet to get across the line into different gaps. He also does well to turn his frame and make himself harder to hit. Leal has excellent movement skills in space too, which helps when he does work free of blocks. However, Leal does not have the strength or physical play style to anchor against the run, which is the same reason his projection to 5-tech is worrisome.
As a 6-tech defensive end, some of Leal's favorite pass-rushing moves—his jump swipe and inside spin—are more viable. And he has the quick feet to operate in space, but he does not quite have the flexibility to win the edge. Nor does he have the power to bull-rush through people.
Leal has outstanding explosiveness and movement skills for a player his size, but his true position in the NFL is a bit murky to project. He will also need time to develop an anchor against the run regardless of what positions he finds a home at.
GRADE: 7.4 (High-level Backup/Potential Starter - 3rd Round)
OVERALL RANK: 72
POSITION RANK: DL8
PRO COMPARISON: Jerry Tillery