NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

2015 NFL Draft: Bengals Should Target Bud Dupree

By Maxwell Ogden

facebooktwitterreddit

In 2014, the Cincinnati Bengals ranked dead last with an abysmal 20 sacks recorded. Even with the likes of Geno Atkins, Carlos Dunlap and Domata Peko, the Bengals fell victim to an absence of depth in the pass rush.

Cincinnati has been active in free agency, but the 2015 NFL Draft has yet to transpire. Thus, Marvin Lewis and company could still land a defensive lineman to apply pressure to the quarterback.

If he’s available at pick No. 21, Cincinnati should not hesitate to select Alvin “Bud” Dupree.

Dupree spent four years playing for the Kentucky Wildcats. In 2014, his final college season, he recorded 74 tackles, including 12.5 for loss, and came up with 7.5 sacks in an ultra-competitive SEC.

While some have questioned whether or not he can be a down lineman in the NFL, the physical tools are there for Dupree to fit the Bengals’ 4-3 base defense.

For those unfamiliar, Dupree is a 6’4″ and 269-pound athletic phenom who can play any number of positions. Most project him to be a 3-4 outside linebacker, but he has the tools to be a 4-3 down lineman.

If nothing else, Dupree will blow people away physically and athletically. According to Coley Harvey of ESPN’s NFL Nation, that’s exactly what he did at his Pro Day.

Bengals defensive line coach Jay Hayes can offer a first-hand account of Dupree’s power and explosiveness.

"Drill after drill, they pounded the bags and ran on to the next exercise. The last one involved included going against Cincinnati Bengals defensive line coach Jay Hayes in an individual drill that tested rush-move technique.That’s when Bud Dupree changed the tone of the proceedings, and rather quickly.An audible gasp rang out late Thursday morning inside the University of Kentucky’s Nutter Field House just ahead of an eruption of laughter. Not only had Dupree, the Wildcats’ prized hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker, exploded perfectly out of his pass-rushing crouch, but he completely knocked Hayes, the man who could eventually be his position coach, 5 or 6 yards backward.“He got a workout going against me,” Dupree later said, laughing."

Dupree likely has Hayes’ vote of confidence.

At the 2015 NFL Draft Scouting Combine, Dupree rated as a top performer in the 40-yard-dash, vertical jump and broad jump. His 4.56 40 was the third-best time of any linebacker.

It was just .04 seconds slower than Marcus Mariota‘s mark of 4.52. For perspective, Mariota had the fastest 40 time of any quarterback in this draft class.

Those specific numbers may not matter on game day, but Dupree knows how to put them to use.

Simply put, Dupree is a game-changer.

The Bengals have been proactive this offseason, bringing back Michael Johnson and Pat Sims to bolster the defensive line. Sims, a run-stopper, and Johnson, a pass-rusher, should help Cincinnati’s defense improve.

For as well as Johnson played during his previous stint with the Bengals, his arrival doesn’t entirely mask the fact that Cincinnati’s pass rush is a glaring weakness.

Even if Johnson were to play up to his full potential, going from 20 team sacks to elite isn’t like to be done by his and Sims’ arrivals alone. The Bengals’ greatest success under then defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was found via their depth in that area.

They have more than enough draft picks to address the void.

Nevertheless, Dupree would the ideal selection at No. 21 overall.

Dupree can be that missing piece as a young and explosive player who can be developed as their star pass-rusher of the future. There’s talk of him being more upside than established ability, but that’s a risk worth taking.

Between he, Atkins and Dunlap, Cincinnati would have the personnel to terrorize quarterbacks for years to come.

As Cincinnati moves forward, nothing matters more than the quarterback. That’s true in both Andy Dalton‘s quality of play and the Bengals’ ability to apply pressure to the opposition.

Dupree would help tremendously with the latter.

Next: The Cincinnati Bengals must find a way to draft Tyler Lockett

More from NFL Spin Zone

Home/Cincinnati Bengals