Leal’s hat in the ring at outside linebacker

With T.J. Watt out of action two years ago because of injury, the Steelers moved defensive tackle DeMarvin Leal to outside linebacker at times to help offset the issue of not having the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year available.

At 6-foot-4, 290 pounds at the time, Leal didn’t quite look like Watt working on the edge. But he held his own, even though he didn’t record a sack in those games in which he bumped outside, recording four tackles, including one for a loss, in a game against the Jets, and a pair of pass defenses the following week against Buffalo.

With the additions of Nick Herbig via the draft and Markus Golden in free agency last season, the Steelers’ experimentation with Leal as a standup defensive end in their sub-packages wasn’t necessary, as the team had plenty of depth behind Watt and Alex Highsmith.

But after Golden was re-signed earlier in August and then retired a week later, the need for a fourth edge rusher when the Steelers go to their nickel and dime defenses has once again thrown Leal’s name back into the mix.

“I think he’s had a heck of a camp. He’s probably in the best shape that he’s been in since we drafted him,” Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said Tuesday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

“He could play inside, he could play outside. He’s that athletic. I don’t want to jinx anybody, especially him, but he’s, he’s done a heck of a job. And if we need him to play outside linebacker, he absolutely could.”