Desmeal Leigh, LT Youngstown State: 2026 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Leigh was a recruit from Theodore Roosevelt High School in Kent, Ohio in the class of 2022
Youngstown State left tackle Desmeal Leigh projects as a Day 3 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s just four years into his football journey, suggesting he could develop into a substantially better player with NFL coaching or if he returns to school and transfers up to a program with a proven offensive line coach.
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Desmeal Leigh, LT Youngstown State: 2026 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Redshirt junior left tackle from Kent, Ohio
Background: Leigh was a recruit from Theodore Roosevelt High School in Kent, Ohio in the class of 2022. He didn’t receive recruiting rankings from the major outlets. Leigh only played one year of football in high school but was still a Division II All-Northeast Inland District honorable mention. He also competed in basketball and lacrosse.
Injuries & Off-Field: N/A
Awards: 2023 Stats Perform FCS Freshman All-American, 2024 Honorable Mention All-MVFC
Pros: Rarely penalized, very new to the position and sport, prototypical height and mass, arm length should meet thresholds, jump sets to quickly erase pass rushes, flashes of repetitive and quick slide in pass set, quick to redirect inside for B-gap attacks, quick to adjust for stunts, play strength to overwhelm rushers at top of the arc, two-handed punches deter outside linebackers, throws feints, strike placement vs. pass rushers in half-man relationship, snatch-trap, flashes of arresting grip strength, speed for gap runs, comfortable working to the second level, able to drive defenders off the line when he latches and frames well, a few flashes of power in run game vs. Pittsburgh (2024), pancakes second and third level defenders
Cons: Competition level, high pad level, kick step lacks consistent width and depth, stride length needs to increase, footspeed in pass set allows for soft angles for speed rushers, lacks footspeed to work full arc, B-gap pried open, light anchor for a player his size, lower half needs to play stronger, narrow base and bad pad level make him vulnerable to power rushes, struggles to re-anchor against speed to power, needs to sink hips and play with wider base, narrow base softens inside shoulder vs. spins, length is good but not great, doesn’t maximize length, late hands expose chest, needs more hand counters, unable to consistently sustain run blocks, forward momentum leads to falling off blocks, stacked up at the POA by long-limbed defenders
Overview: Leigh only played one year of high school football, meaning he’s still in the developmental stage of his journey in the sport. Despite this, he shows significant promise, sporting prototypical height and mass and passable arm length for a professional offensive tackle. Leigh’s consistency in his pass sets is still developing, but he’s beginning to deploy repetitive and quick footwork to expand his range in vertical sets. He already has a powerful jump set in his arsenal. Leigh quickly redirects to prevent B-gap counters and stunts from reaching the quarterback. He needs to further develop his kick step to gain the width and depth he needs to work the full arc and prevent early losses against wide-alignment rushers. The Ohio native takes short shuffles and lacks ideal footspeed, which limits his range and softens angles for edge rushers. When he reaches the top of the arc, he has the power to collapse defenders or drive them around the pocket. However, he struggles to track and stick in front of some athletically gifted rushers. Leigh’s hand usage shows surprising development for an inexperienced, small school lineman. He needs to develop more independent hand usage and maximize his length by adjusting his strike timing and adding more counters, but he deploys feints to draw out the rusher’s hands, uses a potent snatch-trap, and understands where to strike when facing defenders in half-man relationships. Leigh’s two-handed punches offer enough power to stall outside linebackers, and his grip strength arrests would-be threats. The redshirt junior benefits from playing at a lower competition level but still faces concerns about his pad level and anchor. He sits high in his stance and appears to have a light anchor despite possessing NFL-caliber mass. Leigh must maintain a wider base and sink in his stance to sit on power rushes and re-anchor earlier in plays against speed to power. His narrow base also limits the width he takes up on the field, making him vulnerable to spin moves. Leigh is fast enough to operate in a gap scheme and appears comfortable working to the second level, where he seeks opportunities to pancake linebackers or defensive backs. His ability to sustain blocks in the run game is inconsistent since his forward momentum causes him to fall off his assignments. Leigh shows flashes of latching and driving defenders off the line, but longer-limbed linemen get into his frame and take advantage of his pad level to stack him at the point of attack.
Overall, Leigh is an inexperienced but promising offensive lineman with an NFL-caliber frame and developing footwork and hand usage. He might need two more seasons to reach his peak as a prospect due to some technical deficiencies and struggles unlocking the power in his frame.
Role & Scheme Fit: Developmental left tackle in a gap scheme
Round Grade: Sixth Round
Size: 6'7", 325 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 03-18-25