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The Pittsburgh Steelers have invested a trio of first-round picks into their linebacking corps over the last three years. They took Jarvis Jones to play the outside in 2013, Ryan Shazier to play inside last year and most recently outside linebacker Bud Dupree just two months ago. Joining them is Pro Bowler Lawrence Timmons. While that may sound like a dream scenario, in the last few seasons, it has been far from it.
Jones and Shazier have both struggled to find the field in the early portions of their careers. Injuries set back their NFL learning curve, and even when healthy, they were beaten out for their positions. Jones and possibly even Shazier will be facing a make-or-break year, along with what feels like half of Pittsburgh’s defense.
When Dupree slipped to the No. 22 pick in the draft, the Steelers’ front office rejoiced. Dupree was projected to be picked as high as the top 10, but he fell much to general manager Kevin Colbert’s delight. Colbert was quick to praise his pick, calling it a “very easy selection.”
Dupree stands at 6-foot-4 with his weight hovering around 270 pounds, which is rare for an outside linebacker. Much of the time the player is drafted below the desired playing weight and is expected to put on weight, though physically Dupree comes into the league NFL-ready.
A team captain at the University of Kentucky, Dupree finished his collegiate career with 23.5 sacks and 7.5 in his senior year. He combines great raw strength with superior athleticism to set the edge.
The main criticism about Dupree is his below-average hand fighting and shorter arms. He will need to improve his ability to work around long-armed, bigger offensive linemen that he will be playing in the NFL, as he will not be able to beat them with pure athleticism.
Dupree will be battling with Arthur Moats for a starting outside linebacker position, but he has a fantastic example to follow after. The Steelers brought back legendary linebacker James Harrison, a leader known for his Herculean workouts. During a pre-draft interview with head coach Mike Tomlin and Colbert, Dupree reportedly peppered the two with questions about Harrison’s workout regime. If he puts in the work and learns from the best, the sky is the limit for Dupree.
