How Departure of Dick LeBeau Impacts Pittsburgh Steelers' Draft Plans

For some fans, it is hard to envision a Pittsburgh Steelers defense that doesn’t have defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau running it. LeBeau was the Steelers' defensive coordinator for 13 seasons, including the final 11.

However, now that LeBeau has resigned and former linebackers coach Keith Butler has been promoted, things they are changing. Or are they?

When Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette first broke the news, reactions were mixed.

"

Dick LeBeau out as defensive coordinator. Says he and #Steelers have agreed to mutually part ways: "Time to go in a different direction."

— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) January 10, 2015"

There were fans who were mourning the loss of an icon. Others applauded the move, praising the forward thinking. However, whichever side you fell on, the conversation moved quickly to LeBeau’s replacement and what it would mean.

Unfortunately, all the talk about which coach or coordinator might take the reins was for naught. As reported by NFL on ESPN, Pittsburgh chose to simply promote linebackers coach Keith Butler to the defensive coordinator spot:

"

The @Steelers have named Keith Butler their defensive coordinator. He had been their LBs coach since 2003. pic.twitter.com/bpjSzKmMFI

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) January 13, 2015"

But even with his resume and history with the team, Butler has his work cut out for him.

During his 13 seasons as the Steelers' defensive coordinator, LeBeau-led defenses ranked in the top 10 in points allowed nine times and yards allowed 11 times.

Those are some pretty big shoes to fill. Instead of delving into LeBeau's legacy, though, it is time to look at what having Butler will mean—especially is pertains to the 2015 NFL draft.

Steelers.com's Bob Labriola had a great interview with Butler on Tuesday, really digging into what Butler had in mind for the season in his new post.

When Labriola asked if Butler was a 3-4 guy, this was his response: 

"

I would consider myself a whatever-it-takes-to-win guy. If it’s a 3-4, that’s fine, if that fits your players. I think you have to be able to fit your defense around the players you have. With what offenses are doing nowadays in the National Football League, they’re playing a lot of three wide receivers and a tight end and a running back, for the most part. In those situations, we’re going to be in kind of a 4-3 anyway, but we’re still going to be able to run the 3-4 also. It gives you a little bit more versatility, I think.

"

What I read into this is Butler is going to do all he can to stock his defensive roster with a more versatile lineup, particularly among the defensive linemen and linebackers.

Looking across the league, the New England Patriots are probably the highest-profile hybrid defense in the league.

Don Wright/Associated Press

But what makes it so? The Patriots have a group of players who can do a lot of things, and do them well. In particular, the ability to impact the game from their defensive ends is particularly important.

What could Butler do that LeBeau never would have? Draft a true defensive end to line up on the outside in four-man fronts.

This roster also has a number of very good players who can be effective in both a 3-4 as well as a 4-3 front. Defensive lineman Cameron Heyward is a tremendous 5-technique, but really shines when he moves inside. Heyward could play defensive end on the strong side as well as the under tackle in a 4-3.

Who would play next to Heyward on the inside? Put me down for defensive tackle Daniel McCullers. McCullers is a mountain of a man (6'7", 352 lbs), and with an explosive player like Heyward next to him, could do some real damage.

Don Wright/Associated Press

Pittsburgh also has some nice players at linebacker.

Guys like Lawrence Timmons, Ryan Shazier and Sean Spence should fit the bill in some of these roles, especially when the Steelers go lighter and play coverage.

However, one thing the Steelers are missing that the Patriots have is that linebacker who can really rush the passer like Jamie Collins can.

So what direction does general manager Kevin Colbert go in to satisfy these needs? The Patriots essentially have four players they trot out that play at around 260 pounds in the starting lineup.

With linebacker Jason Worilds' free-agent status, the Steelers don’t have a player similar to that. Most of the Steelers' linebackers are undersized by hybrid front standards, so the draft must focus on adding more beef. This defense cannot be truly versatile with a lot of 235-pound guys playing those roles.

The idea of having a hybrid base is very smart. As Butler pointed out in the Steelers.com interview, so many teams play with three wide receivers plus a tight end that you have to account for the pass—even in obvious run situations.

The only alternative is to play a lot of nickel, and that often pulls some of your best linebackers off the field, replacing them with backup defensive backs but more importantly forcing linebackers into being defensive ends.

Here are three guys who have either a first- or second-round grade on CBSSports.com and fit the mold of what Butler and the Steelers' front office need to focus on, if they are truly going to commit to more hybrid base fronts:

• Alvin “Bud” Dupree, DE/LB, Kentucky
• Dante Fowler, Jr., DE/LB, Florida
• Owamagbe Odigihizuwa, DE, UCLA

All of these guys possess the requisite beef to anchor the run, and all three are very comfortable playing with their hand on the ground as a pure pass-rushing defensive end.

Obviously, the star of this show is Dupree. If the Steelers are serious about making this move, it would take a trade up to get him but could certainly be worth it. Dupree is almost as explosive as the 235-pound Vic Beasley from Clemson, but he is much stronger.

Wade Payne/Associated Press

If the Steelers sit tight, Fowler Jr. could be on the board. Fowler is a guy I didn’t love as a Steelers prospect at just a 3-4 outside linebacker, but this changes things. If he played a role more similar to what Collins does with New England, he’d be a great selection here.

Finally we have Odigihizuwa. Obviously, the UCLA product is a step below Dupree and Fowler Jr., but he still possesses an interesting set of physical gifts. He has a high motor and plays hard through the whistle every play.

Just a few words on the secondary. Yes, cornerback and safety are still a need. However, the type of player the Steelers are going to target shouldn’t change because Butler is running the defense now.

The biggest difference might be that Butler can convince the front office to address cornerback in the first two rounds of the draft.

Pro-Football-Reference.com indicates Pittsburgh hasn’t drafted a cornerback in either of the first two rounds since 2005 (Bryant McFadden) and hasn’t drafted a cornerback in the first round since 1997 (Chad Scott).

As much as the Steelers need to bolster the defensive line to account for this adjustment to the scheme, failing to make cornerback a top priority is just as serious.

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

So to summarize all this: If anything changes early in the draft based on this move, it will be in the type of pass-rusher the Steelers draft. Whereas a week ago a guy like Beasley would have been ideal, he might not be at this point.

Regardless of which round they do it in, the Steelers must address the pass rush as well as the secondary early and often.

The changes to this team will be subtle, and they might not work at all, but this change definitely adjusts the focus of at least two positions in this draft.