Bud Dupree 2020 Outlook: Should Show Sack Breakout Was No Fluke
5 years agoThe fifth year turned out to be the charm for Bud Dupree. Considered a disappointment until last season, the former first round pick broke out in the final season of his rookie contract. The production was good enough to increase his IDP appeal to the point where he was useful for his sack output and was decent in terms of tackle totals. Prior to the 2019 season, he only posted mediocre tackle numbers and had never generated more than six sacks in a season. Dupree busted out with a career-high 11.5 sacks last year, and also registered a new standard with 68 tackles. The latter total was a nice boost from a previous career high of 42, but is still not enough to put him in IDP conversations with the truly better players at LB. He does not figure in for turnovers much. Dupree should be motivated for another useful season when you consider he will be playing on a franchise tag and is likely to be headed for free agency after this year. Pittsburgh already drafted his potential replacement, as they took Alex Highsmith in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Most of a high quality Steelers Defense will return around Dupree. He is the consensus 53rd ranked LB and 110th IDP player overall. Because of his spotty track record he may be undervalued a bit, and he is worth a depth pick at the position.