Having three first-round picks at the position already did not deter the Steelers from their appointed task — to fix an ailing pass rush that has slipped from near the top to near the bottom of the NFL.
It is why they drafted Kentucky outside linebacker Bud Dupree with the 22nd pick in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday night. It is the third consecutive year they have used their first-round pick on a linebacker. They drafted outside linebacker Jarvis Jones first in 2013 and inside linebacker Ryan Shazier No. 1 in 2014. Inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons was their first-round pick in 2007.
For the second year in a row, they expressed surprise that a player they thought would go higher in the draft lasted until their turn.
“This is a gift for us to be able to get this guy at 22,’’ general manager Kevin Colbert said.
“We didn’t expect Bud Dupree to be there at 22. That was a very easy selection. We want good football players, and Bud Dupree certainly fits that category.”
Dupree is 6 feet 4, 269 pounds and runs 4.56 in the 40.
He is a versatile linebacker who can rush the quarterback and cover receivers, ideal in a 3-4 defense.
Tomlin said while he can play either side, he will start him out on the left side of the defense, where Arthur Moats currently is No. 1 on the depth chart. Jones and James Harrison will be positioned at right outside linebacker.
“I think it’s a great fit for me,’’ Dupree said. “ It will be great to have all of us on the field.”
The Steelers’ 33 sacks last season were their fewest since they had 31 in 1989 after they managed just 34 in 2013. They have not topped 40 since 2010 when they managed 48 after getting 47 in 2009 and 51 in 2008, the last season in which they won a Super Bowl.
New defensive coordinator Keith Butler, promoted from linebackers coach after the departure of Dick LeBeau this year, hopes to put an emphasis on getting to the quarterback again.
Dupree had 7.5 sacks for Kentucky last season and one interception, which he returned for the winning touchdown against South Carolina. He had 9.5 sacks in 2013. He started three seasons at Kentucky and played in all 12 games as a freshman.
“Versatility is something you can highlight,’’ Tomlin said of his new rookie. “He’s done a lot for that defense over the course of the last four years.’’
Asked to compare Dupree with another big outside linebacker drafted in 2007, LaMarr Woodley, Tomlin said Dupree has done more at the position.
“LaMarr was a converted defensive lineman,’’ Tomlin said, then talked about Dupree. “He’s showed a much wider variety of skill sets on the college tape. He’s really a unique animal. He’s 6-4, 269 pounds. He’s capable of playing in space, he’s capable of rushing off the edge.”
One cornerback the Steelers had interest in, Kevin Johnson of Wake Forest, went to Houston at No. 16, but Colbert said Dupree was higher on their list. He said they thought of trading up to try to get him earlier, but held firm.
“As the numbers came together, he was certainly the highest player left on our board,’’ Colbert said. “As he kept coming to us, the odds of getting a player increased, and we waited it out. So often it happens, you just wait it out.”
Colbert and Tomlin gushed about Dupree’s ability and character.
“He’s very, very strong at the point,’’ Colbert said of his ability against the run. “When you watch him work out as we did on his pro day. You have to keep telling yourself this guy is 6-4, 269. He can power rush, he can speed rush, he can put moves together ... and he can cover. He’s very humble, not a real talkative guy. He’s finishing school this semester and will graduate in four years.
“When we were there for the pro day, there was just endless support and praise for this kid. He was their leader. ... We believe we got an impact player in Bud Dupree.’’
Dupree went to dinner with Tomlin during Kentucky’s pro day.
“He had a lot of questions about James Harrison,’’ Tomlin said. “He asked a lot about his workout regimen, good questions for a young man.’’
While Dupree said he was delighted to come to Pittsburgh — he will arrive today —– it was tough for him while sitting at the draft in Chicago and watching as teams kept selecting players without calling his name.
“I really didn’t know where I was going to go,’’ Dupree said. “It was a horrible wait.”
First Published: May 1, 2015, 12:50 a.m.
Updated: May 1, 2015, 4:17 a.m.
