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3 takes on No. 1 pick Bud Dupree

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  1. Surprise, surprise:* *There are always surprises in the NFL Draft, and for the Steelers, the biggest surprise of the night was that linebacker Bud Dupree from Kentucky was still on the board when they picked at No. 22.

We're real excited," said General Manager Kevin Colbert after the pick. "The other day during the press conference we talked about the outside linebacker position being very deep, with several impact players. We believe we got an impact player in Bud Dupree.

"He is very athletic. Very strong. He played in a defense similar to ours. He stood up. He is very strong against the run. He's certainly a good pass rusher and can mix power and speed and he can cover. It's real exciting he was able to be there for us at 22. That is something we didn't expect to happen.

  1. Mr. Versatile: Dupree had 248 tackles and 23.5 sacks at Kentucky, as well as 38 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. He is a player who brings a lot of elements to the table, something that made him attractive to the Steelers.

"Versatility is something that should be highlighted," said Coach Mike Tomlin. "He has done a lot for that defense over the course of the last four years. He has been an edge rusher, played in space. He is a versatile and smart athlete. You could characterize him as a football junkie, a football historian."

  1. Getting a gift:* *When asked about taking Dupree over a cornerback, a position many mock drafts had the Steelers going after, Colbert said he "absolutely" preferred taking Dupree.

"We didn't expect Bud Dupree to be there. That was a very easy selection. As we say all of the time we are never going to lock ourselves into any position. We want good football players and Bud Dupree certainly fits that category.

"He was the highest player left on our board. As he kept coming to us, the odds of getting a player we wanted increased and we waited it out. We really feel fortunate this was one of those situations. This is a gift for us to be able to get this guy at 22."

View photos of Pittsburgh Steelers 2015 1st Round Draft Pick, linebacker Bud Dupree.

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