Pittsburgh Steelers: 3 Standouts from Preseason Week 2 vs. Chiefs
By Samuel Teets
2. Bud Dupree, OLB
For all of those Steelers fans out there hoping Bud Dupree will finally take the next step, Saturday night had to be a positive sign. Even if it was only a preseason game, Dupree made a larger impact than we’re accustomed to.
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Dupree was everywhere in the first half. While he didn’t look as quick or unstoppable as Watt, he did make it to the quarterback more often. Dupree recorded two sacks, three quarterback hits and one pass defense against Tamp Bay.
The Kentucky product is entering the fifth and final year of his rookie contract, meaning there’s a lot of money on the line for him this coming season. Pittsburgh took Dupree with the 22nd overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Admittedly, it was a somewhat risky move. Dupree was a raw prospect with considerable potential, but we’ve seen plenty of players like him fail to stay in the NFL long-term.
Ultimately, Dupree has neither been a bust nor a success at this point in his career. Jarvis Jones was a bust and Watt is a success. Dupree is somewhere between those two players right now. Through four seasons, he has 20 sacks and 132 combined tackles. Keep in mind, he wasn’t a full-time starter in 2015 and only appeared in seven games in 2016.
A successful season for Dupree would consist of eight or more sacks and 45 or more tackles. I’m not sure the Steelers will find a way to retain Dupree even if he has a season with that kind of stat line, but the pass rusher will at least set himself up for a nice payday if he can reach those numbers.