The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2025 offseason practices concluded in the middle of June, and next up is the team’s annual training camp, which will get underway in the latter part of July at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. Ahead of that, we will preview the team’s offseason roster, three players at a time. This Steelers roster preview, which includes an outlook for every player, will be done alphabetically by last name to make it easy to follow. This series figures to exceed 90 players as the team can carry 91 players during the offseason due to the allowance of one international player designation.
The next three players we will preview ahead of the Steelers’ 2025 training camp are DeMarvin Leal, Logan Lee, and Montana Lemonious-Craig.
OLB/DE DeMarvin Leal: Originally selected by the Steelers in the third round of 2022 NFL Draft out of Texas A&M, Leal only managed to play in five games in 2024, his third NFL season, as a neck injury landed him on the team’s Reserve/Injured list in the middle of October. He reportedly said this past offseason that he dealt with a bone spur and scoliosis in the back of his neck in 2024 that required him to spend several weeks on bed rest in addition to several other weeks with no contact.
Altogether, Leal logged 51 total defensive snaps during the 2024 regular season and 26 more on special teams. He was credited with four total tackles and one quarterback hit in his limited playing time.
After missing six weeks on the Steelers Reserve/Injured list with a knee injury during his 2022 rookie season, Leal managed to stay healthy for most of the 2023 season. However, he missed one game in 2023 with a concussion and was inactive for four other contests as a healthy scratch. Three of those games came at the end of the season.
Used as a defensive lineman and outside linebacker in his first three NFL seasons, Leal has logged a total of 432 defensive snaps and 88 special teams snaps so far in 28 games. He’s been credited with 33 total tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, three quarterback hits, and four passes defensed since the Steelers drafted him in 2022.
Outlook: Do the Steelers consider Leal an outside linebacker or a defensive lineman at this point? To hear Leal talk this offseason, he’s considered an outside linebacker now. If so, he’s a plus-sized one.
Regardless of the position or positions that Leal winds up playing during this summer’s training camp and preseason slate, he’s going to have an extremely tough time making the team’s 53-man roster. The outside linebacker and defensive line rooms are really full. Leal has always been considered a tweener player since he was drafted and he remains an underdeveloped one entering his fourth training camp.
While Leal had a few bright spots early in 2024 and in the 51 total defensive snaps that he logged in five total games, those weren’t enough to secure his future in Pittsburgh past this year’s slate of preseason contests. The fact that he’s had problems staying healthy in his first three NFL seasons is also genuinely concerning.
All told, time seems to be ticking quicker now when it comes to Leal and his future in Pittsburgh. He is going to need to have a super training camp and preseason to stick in Pittsburgh even as a practice squad player. While injuries have obviously played a role, Leal certainly has been a disappointment so far, especially considering the Steelers spent a third-round draft selection on him. Keep your fingers crossed that Leal can shift the negative narrative currently attached to him this summer. Just don’t hold your breath that he ultimately will.
DT Logan Lee: Originally selected in the sixth round with the 178th overall pick by the Steelers out of Iowa in the 2024 NFL Draft, Lee only played some during the preseason. He sustained a calf injury late in the preseason and was later being placed on the team’s Reserve/Injured list to start the regular season. While the calf injury Lee sustained was not deemed to be serious at first, he never was removed from the Reserve/Injured list in 2024, even after having his 21-day practice window opened late in the season.
During the 2024 preseason, Lee played just 40 snaps on defense and 11 more on special teams. On defense, Lee played 29 snaps at nose tackle. That was a bit surprising due to him playing most of his college snaps at Iowa lined up in the B gap. He did, however, log 243 snaps in college lined up in the A gap.
Lee registered just two total defensive tackles during his limited preseason play in 2024. Both were scored as assists. His limited number of special teams snaps were logged on the field goal unit.
As for Lee’s college stats, he registered 158 total tackles, 19 tackles for loss, nine sacks, seven passes defensed, and two fumble recoveries in 43 games played at Iowa over a span of four seasons.
Outlook: The Steelers shook up their defensive line room this offseason with two new members of that group, Derrick Harmon and Yahya Black, selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. The team also signed DT Daniel Ekuale during free agency while DE Isaiahh Loudermilk was also re-signed during the offseason. The rest of the defensive line depth chart includes DT Cameron Heyward, DT Keeanu Benton, DL Dean Lowry, DT Esezi Otomewo, DT Domenique Davis, and DL Jacob Slade. DE/OLB DeMarvin Leal is also a player that could figure into that room this summer.
After missing his entire rookie season due to injury, Lee should not be considered a lock to make the Steelers 53-man roster to start the 2025 regular season. The Steelers are likely to keep either six or seven defensive linemen in total to start the regular season so Lee will battle for a backup spot this summer. It will be interesting to see if they continue to use him heavily at nose tackle during the preseason. If that happens, it might lessen his chances of making the 53-man roster.
Even if Lee shows positional flexibility and strong play this summer, there is still a chance that he winds up being waived during the final round of roster transactions. Should that ultimately happen, he could wind up starting the 2025 regular season on the team’s practice squad. As a former draft pick, Lee’s second training camp progress and preseason play with the Steelers will be monitored closely.
WR Montana Lemonious-Craig: The Steelers signed Lemonious-Craig in May as an undrafted free agent and after participating in the team’s annual rookie minicamp as a tryout player. An Arizona product by way of Colorado, Lemonious-Craig spent the first three seasons of his collegiate career at Colorado before transferring to Arizona for his final two.
Lemonious-Craig caught 79 passes for 965 yards and nine touchdowns during his college career in five-season, 47 game tenure. A bulk of his production, 45 of his college receptions for 468 yards and four touchdowns, came in his final two college seasons at Arizona. Most of his offensive snaps at wide receiver came saw him lined up wide outside. He does, however, have some college experience playing in the slot. Additionally, Lemonious-Craig logged some limited playing time on special teams throughout his college career.
During the pre-draft process this past offseason, Lemonious-Craig registered a 5.57 Relative Athletic Score based on his testing. He measured in at 6010, 191-pounds and posted a 35-inch vertical and ran a 4.54 40-yard-dash.
Outlook: The fact that Lemonious-Craig did enough as a tryout player during rookie minicamp to warrant the team signing him is impressive. Even so, the rookie undrafted free agent wide receiver will have an extremely difficult time this summer when it comes to his chances of making the 53-man roster after the preseason ends.
The Steelers wide receiver depth chart is fairly full entering this year’s training camp. It includes the headliners in the likes of DK Metcalf, Calvin Austin III, Roman Wilson, Robert Woods, Scotty Miller, and Ben Skowronek. Wide receivers Brandon Johnson, Lance McCutcheon, Roc Taylor, and Ke’Shawn Williams are also currently under contract at the time of this post. At most, the Steelers will keep just six wide receivers on their initial 53-man roster. That number could easily wind up being just five as well.
The fact that Lemonious-Craig isn’t deemed a huge special teams asset as he enters the NFL will certainly be a quality that he lacks that could potentially hurt his 53-man roster chances this summer. In short, Lemonious-Craig will more than likely be competing this summer for a Week 1 practice squad spot.
Previous Posts In This Series:
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Training Camp Preview Series — Calvin Anderson, Spencer Anderson, Calvin Austin III
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Training Camp Preview Series — Keeanu Benton, Beanie Bishop Jr., Yahya Black
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Training Camp Preview Series — Chris Boswell, Nick Broeker, Carson Bruener
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Training Camp Preview Series — Sebastian Castro, Dylan Cook, Domenique Davis
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Training Camp Preview Series — Brandin Echols, Daniel Ekuale, DeShon Elliott
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Training Camp Preview Series — Troy Fautanu, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Zach Frazier
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Training Camp Preview Series — Pat Freiermuth, Kenneth Gainwell, JJ Galbreath
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Training Camp Preview Series — Derrick Harmon, Devin Harper, Malik Harrison
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Training Camp Preview Series — Nick Herbig, Cameron Heyward, Connor Heyward
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Training Camp Preview Series — Alex Highsmith, Cole Holcomb, Will Howard
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Training Camp Preview Series — Evan Hull, Max Hurleman, D’Shawn Jamison
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Training Camp Preview Series — Brandon Johnson, Kaleb Johnson, Quindell Johnson
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Training Camp Preview Series — Cameron Johnston, Broderick Jones, Steven Jones
90 In 30: Steelers 2025 Training Camp Preview Series — Donte Kent, Miles Killebrew, Christian Kuntz
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