Pittsburgh Steelers: Making the case for Alvin Dupree

By Luis Tirado Jr. | Apr 26, 2015

It’s been a long time since the Pittsburgh Steelers had a dominating linebacker that intimidated opposing offenses every single time he was on the football field. With the 2015 NFL Draft almost upon us, the Steelers have some areas of need that they will definitely address. Should they take the best linebacker available once they are on the clock with their No. 22 overall pick? If he’s available when they’re on the clock, to me it’s a no-brainer to actually take outside linebacker Alvin Dupree.

At 6’4″ and 269 pounds, Dupree would give the Steelers an incredible talent they can mold over the next year or so until he’s ready to be unleashed. While Dupree is an incredibly raw prospect, his upside is something that is worth taking a risk on.

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In his collegiate career at Kentucky, he contributed 247 tackles, 23.5 sacks and an interception. Needless to say, he’s a tackling machine that only needs some quality coaching and training to really reach his potential. This is why the Steelers should bring him since he knows how to really get things going on defense.

While I think they should address their depth at cornerback in the later rounds of the draft, missing out on what Dupree brings to the table would be a big mistake. Last season the Steelers only had 33.0 sacks as a team which was one of the lowest the team has had in quite some time.

Dupree has an amazing skill-set and has a knack at getting to the quarterback effectively and consistently. As a solid pass rusher, Dupree could finally give the Steelers that much-needed presence on defense that will show opponents that they will continue being a contender not only in the AFC North but for the rest of the league.

While I think Dupree will indeed have a solid career once he transitions to the pros, I wouldn’t expect him to be an immediate starter. He’ll need to gradually be incorporated slowly until he gets use to his role of a defensive-scheme specific outside linebacker. After a year or so, I’m confident he’ll get more playing time, especially in a platoon kind of role.

Good news is his high football IQ will enable him to pick things up quickly as it won’t be long before he becomes a household name on the Steelers. I can envision new defensive coordinator Keith Butler using his speed and aggression as a blitzing linebacker to really bring the pressure to opposing quarterbacks.

Sep 27, 2014; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats defensive end Alvin Dupree (2) celebrates during the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the second half at Commonwealth Stadium. Kentucky defeated Vanderbilt 17-7. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

While some might feel that taking Dupree in the first round might be a mistake since it could be too high of a pick to take him but if he’s lasted this long in the draft, he won’t go much longer before a team takes him.

I look at Dupree as an athlete with a game-changing presence that would make a big impact on any defensive-oriented team once he gets the right training and mentoring, especially on a team like the Steelers that already have starters in place that can teach him the ropes.

The Steelers have always been known to have a stout defense but as of late have lost some of their key defensive figures and leaders. With Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu officially retired, the Steelers need to start revamping other areas on defense to compensate for the voids they will surely leave.

Overall, Dupree could help ease the pain of losing some of the best defensive players in Steelers’ history as aforementioned above since he’s everything that encompasses the kind of defenders the team loves to draft and develop for the future.

I think he would be a solid choice to go with and truly be a force to reckon with for years to come thanks to the tenacity and quality depth he will bring to their linebacker corps.

Next: Pittsburgh Steelers: Will Kevin Johnson be next great CB?

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