Why you should be excited about Bud Dupree:
- He's 6-foot-4 and 269 pounds and has excelled as an edge rusher.
- He "stood up" and "played on his feet," as Coach Mike Tomlin observed, a reference to Dupree playing outside linebacker as a senior at Kentucky after previously having played as a hand-on-the-ground defensive end. He's ahead of the curve in transitioning to a 3-4 outside linebacker in the NFL because he already has played the position.
- Scouting jargon published about Dupree prior to the draft included the following descriptive observations: "Flexible athlete with natural bend … low pad level …impressive upper- and lower-body bulk … rubber ankles and loose hips," and "twitchy first step." That's all good stuff.
- He started 10 games as a senior and registered 74 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks, which pushed his career sacks total to 23.5, second all-time at Kentucky.
- The Steelers were surprised and "excited," according to General Manager Kevin Colbert, to find Dupree available at No. 22 overall. "Quite honestly this was something we didn't expect to happen," Colbert said. "This is a gift for us."
- Dupree was a two-sport athlete in high school and led his basketball team to a state championship in 2010.
- Dupree was assessed by Colbert as "very humble," and as a player with no character red flags.
