Why Pittsburgh Steelers could not resist taking Bud Dupree

With the 22nd pick in the first round, the Pittsburgh Steelers picked up Kentucky linebacker Alvin “Bud” Dupree. The team is lucky to have them fall into their lap, and now they threaten to have one of the most dangerous linebacker corps in the NFL.

In mid-April, Albert Breer of NFL.com noted that Dupree was starting to get looks from top 10 teams after impressing in interviews.

"[Dupree’s] work through the offseason gauntlet has been outstanding end-to-end. And that includes the interviews, during which clubs found this freak athlete to be a great kid. Because of his athleticism, makeup and on-field motor, teams feel like they can work with him, even if he’s a little raw. So he’s now in play in the top 10."

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On the field, Dupree would give the Steelers a lot of improvement in pass rushing, something they lacked last season. President Art Rooney II acknowledged that was a priority. They finished with 33 sacks and had just 103 quarterback hurries, which was more than 30 percent less than 2013.

Pass rush got even worse when Jason Worilds shocked everyone with announcing his retirement. He tied as a leader in sacks for the team last season (7.5) with defensive end Cameron Heyward. After the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons picked up linebackers with the third and eighth pick, respectively, there wasn’t another linebacker taken until the Steelers popped up on the board. Indeed, Dupree falling into their lap was a no-brainer.

Outside of his play on the field, Dupree had the personality fit to be a future Steelers player. Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hints that could have been the deciding factor in picking up the Kentucky linebacker.

"That Dupree is a solid citizen is not the only reason Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert called him “a gift for us” at the No. 22 slot in the NFL draft. It wasn’t as important as Dupree’s size, speed, power and versatility. “He’s really a unique animal,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. “He’s his own man.” But the character stuff mattered."

If Dupree wasn’t available, the Steelers would have likely gone with a cornerback. Other top linebackers, Shane Ray from Missouri and Randy Gregory from Nebraska, both have a rap sheet with marijuana. Ray was busted earlier in the week with possession and Gregory tested positive back in February. Pittsburgh is famously known for not taking risky players.

John Clayton of ESPN loves the linebacking corps and believes it could give the Steelers a boost to contend for another championship.

"Now the Steelers have four No. 1 linebackers — Lawrence Timmons, Ryan Shazier, Jarvis Jones and Dupree. Once all four get on the field together, the Steelers might have one of the fastest 3-4 linebacking units in recent memory."

Again, Dupree is still a work in progress. He won’t come out in the first week of the season and dominate. However, the blueprint is there for this team to shine. Pittsburgh has a linebacker they can trust, and now they can focus on a huge need — improving the secondary — for the next couple of rounds.

Next: Day 1 Grades and Analysis

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