The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 NFL draft.
The Green Bay Packers fortified their defensive line group by signing free agent Jarran Reed to a one-year deal. With Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry and now Reed, the Packers have the makings of a strong defensive line group for the upcoming season.
What does that group look like a year from now though? Both Reed and Lowry will be free agents next offseason.
With that in mind, Brian Gutekunst will likely look to address the defensive line group early if the right player falls to him during the 2022 NFL draft.
A player that Gutekunst could target with one of his two second round picks is DeMarvin Leal. The Texas A&M defensive lineman checks in at No. 10 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
Leal arrived at Texas A&M as a five-star recruit. As a freshman in 2019, Leal started seven games and recorded 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. The following season Leal recorded seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception and four pass deflections.
This past season Leal recorded 58 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. The former five-star recruit finished the season on a terror, recording 17 tackles, four tackles for loss, and three sacks in the last three games. In the final game against LSU, he recorded six pressures. That strong finish to the season is what people were expecting from Leal all season. With his traits, it’s not out of question to think Leal could post that kind of production at the NFL level.
“Leal is an interesting prospect because he has a lot of traits, but it’s sometimes hard to gauge the capacity of each one, as his consistency wanes at times,” Ian Cummings, an NFL Draft analyst for Pro Football Network, said. “I’d say his lateral agility is his greatest strength as a defensive lineman. It’s something that shows up on the interior and on the edge. He can execute crisp swims and inside moves with his lateral mobility, and he has the twitch and energy on the interior to manipulate leverage. He’s also fairly flexible, and has the ankle flexion to win around the apex at times.”
Leal passes the eye test with his NFL-ready frame. He has a tall, long frame with no bad weight. He entered the year with Top 15 buzz, but the hype didn’t always match the tape, at least consistently.
“If you pieced together his best reps from every game, he flashes all the necessary tools,” Cummings said. “He has burst, lateral agility, power, strength, and violent hands. He seems like a prospect who hasn’t played his best football yet.”
Leal is explosive off the snap and is quick to get gap penetration. He’s agile and looks fluid moving in space. Leal has a loose lower body and is able to evade blockers. He has excellent foot quickness and has the quickness to chase down ball carriers from behind. Leal may need to get stronger at the point of attack to hold up on early downs at the NFL level.
“He’s more consistent setting the edge as a big end,” Cummings said. “There, his strength and frame density allow him to establish anchors and hold up in space. He also has enough athleticism to be a factor in pursuit. On the interior, around 3-technique, 2i, and 4i, he’s a bit less consistent. He does have some disruptive ability here with his athleticism and heavy hands. Leal can club linemen aside, as well as wrench open gaps with his length, and his strong base allows him to stay balanced. But he doesn’t have the elite play strength to consistently pry open double teams, and with a frame that isn’t as wide, he can be directed relatively easily at times.”
Leal offers a lot of upside as a pass rusher. He has first-step quickness to keep offensive linemen on their heels. Once he wins the corner he runs the arc with great burst. He has quick hands. The Texas A&M defensive lineman converts speed to power. Leal has long arms to keep blockers out of his chest. He has a nice bag of tricks as a pass-rusher, including an impressive spin move. When Leal has his motor running he can be nearly unblockable.
“Leal has to have a solid tool chest, because he rushes from many different alignments,” Cummings said. “On the edge, at 5-technique and outside, he flashes good burst and power. He can leverage his initial acceleration into force at contact, and surge into his opponent’s torso with his length. He also has a euro-chop-rip combo that he employs, combining his lateral agility and heavy hands. On the interior, Leal’s power doesn’t translate quite as well, but he can rip down anchors with his strong hands. His lateral agility presents a mismatch here, and he can use his agility and hands in conjunction to execute swims. And against stiffer guards, his ankle flexion can help here at times as well.”
Fit with the Packers
The Texas A&M defensive lineman would be a great fit as the five-tech in Green Bay’s 3-4 scheme. He’s a splash player against the run and would immediately bring juice to Green Bay’s already impressive pass rush.
Leal is a Top 15 talent. His production at College Station didn’t always match the talent, but there is no denying that Leal has the tools in the shed to develop into a disruptive force playing alongside Clark.
The Texas A&M defensive lineman checks the boxes with his blend of size, quickness and power. If Leal were to be drafted by the Packers, he’d have the case for being the most talented defensive lineman to ever play with Clark (based on traits). The question is could Green Bay unlock that talent on a consistent basis?
“Leal can be that player who rotates between 3-point and 4-point stance reps at 5-technique, and reps at 3-technique as a disruptive interior defensive end,” Cummings said. “He has a working arsenal of pass rush moves, and he has enough visible physical upside to be worth a look. He might not have the pure athletic ceiling of a Rashan Gary, but his ceiling is still fairly high, and he can be a quality asset on the line with his versatility.”
Gary is an interesting comparison to Leal. While Gary was at Michigan, he often left you wanting more. The talent and traits didn’t always match the production and impact on the field.
Gary was a huge trait-based projection. It appears Gutekunst and his staff hit that projection out of the park.
It’s not out of the question that the Packers roll the dice on a similar trait-based projection three years later by taking Leal, a toolsy defensive lineman that could wear multiple hats in the front seven for the Packers.
“I very much like the versatility with Leal,” Cummings said. “He can be that big edge, and he has some quintessential edge traits like agility and bend. He also has the power capacity and strength to be a factor on the interior. We just need to see him sustain power and maximize these elements more consistently. I’m excited to see what proper NFL coaching can do for him. The talent is all there. But in the same sense, landing spot is especially important for unleashing his potential. If he’s not in the right place, we may never see it.”
As a rookie, Leal would provide quality depth along the defensive line. Following his rookie season, he could step into a starting role playing the five-tech alongside Clark, where those two could cause a lot of havoc in the NFC North for the foreseeable future.
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