Pittsburgh Steelers: Identifying the Perfect Draft Replacement for Jason Worilds

Jason Worilds shocked the NFL world when he announced his retirement less than 24 hours into free agency. Although his announcement was a surprise, it did not alter the Pittsburgh Steelers’ plans to address the outside linebacker position.

Kevin Colbert expected Worilds to leave via free agency and did not have him in the team’s offseason plans, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Rather than spend on a pass-rusher such as Pernell McPhee or Jabaal Sheard, Colbert signed two of his own.

Arthur Moats signed a new three-year deal with the Steelers and James Harrison re-signed for two more years. Even with Jarvis Jones in the mix, there is a lack of depth and young talent at the position, which makes finding one in the draft a high priority.

After avoiding outside linebackers in the first round for two decades, the Steelers selected Jarvis Jones with the 17th overall selection in 2013. They will likely select an outside linebacker in the first round for the second time in three years if Alvin “Bud” Dupree is on the board.

	Age	Height	Weight	Arm Length	40-yard dash	2014 Sacks
Jason Worilds	27	6'2"	262 lbs	32 7/8"	4.72 s	7.5
Bud Dupree	22	6'4"	269 lbs	32 5/8"	4.56 s	7.5

Dupree is one of a few edge-defenders in this year’s draft, and the Steelers are interested. According to Scott Brown of ESPN.com: “Coach Mike Tomlin, defensive coordinator Keith Butler and outside linebackers coach Joey Porter all attended the Wildcats’ workout and had a chance to talk to Dupree afterward.”

It is easy to understand why the Steelers are interested in Dupree. At 6’4” and 269 pounds, he is an athletic specimen who has the size to hold the edge against the run, but the explosiveness to develop into a top pass-rusher. That makes him a near-perfect prospect to replace Worilds on the strong side of the defense.

When compared to the other outside linebackers in this draft, Dupree rates highly as diagrammed in this spider chart created by MockDraftable.com:

MockDraftable.com

The inability to establish a consistent pass rush has held the Steelers’ defense back in recent years. They have become more susceptible to big plays and have been unable to create turnovers. For instance, they ranked 26th in sacks last season with 33 and were in the bottom third of the league with 21 takeaways.

Even Worilds struggled in this area, with only 15.5 sacks in two years as a starter. Dupree has the potential to develop into a dynamic playmaker, but not right away. Instead, the coaches will need to develop him and ease him into the starting lineup.

While learning behind Harrison and Moats, Dupree can take on a specialized role on third downs rushing the quarterback. But he will have to continue to develop his moves as a pass-rusher.

Lance Zierlein of NFL Media—who mocked Dupree to the Steelers in his third mock draft—recognized Dupree’s limitations while rushing the quarterback:

"

Tall but not long. Wins with athleticism over skill at this point. Some scouts believe his instincts are below average, leading to hesitation. Will get caught taking bad angles to the ball. Needs to improve hand fighting. Still raw rushing the passer. Doesn't possess a go-to pass-rush move. Appears to lack urgency in-game.

"

Despite being one of the top athletes in this year’s draft, Dupree’s did not always live up to his potential in terms of production. He had 23.5 sacks in his career, including 7.5 as a senior. In additional to his ability to get to the quarterback last season, he had 74 tackles, including 12.5 for a loss, one interception and two forced fumbles.

While these numbers are good, they are not dominant for an athlete with such impressive physical and athletic traits (4.56 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 42-inch vertical and 138-inch broad jump), he was not a dominant pass-rusher.

Does that mean that he is incapable of succeeding at the next level? Not exactly.

Zierlein believes that Dupree can improve and be even better in the NFL with proper coaching:

"Dupree is an explosive, powerful athlete with a background in basketball. While he's been productive at Kentucky, his tape doesn't always do his potential justice. He must continue to improve as a pass rusher, but his traits are undeniable. Difference between being good and great might be his coordinator."

Charles Davis of NFL Media believes that scheme will play a role in Dupree’s development:

"

Dupree has had some solid numbers, recording 7.5 sacks last season and 23.5 during his Wildcats career. He has all the athletic tools you look for, too. Yet, the big concern that comes up with Dupree—whether watching tape or talking to evaluators—is a lack of consistency. Is he more than just a flash player? He's had to wear different hats in different systems at Kentucky, so it's possible that consistency of scheme and assignment will help him as a pro. If he lands in the right defense and becomes more consistent, look out.

"

The first part of his statement is a concern, especially for the Steelers, who already have one disappointing prospect in Jarvis Jones. They cannot afford to spend another high pick on a player who won't develop into a playmaker.

The difference between these two players, though, is athleticism. Dupree’s traits cannot be understated when compared to Jones', as the coaches cannot teach size and speed, but they can teach him how to rush the quarterback and set the edge against the run.

As Bleacher Report's Matt Miller points out, Dupree can play a variety of positions and has the athletic upside of DeMarcus Ware.

Keith Butler would be thrilled to have a versatile linebacker to work with as he tries to get the defense back on track. He would have the option to use Dupree as a traditional outside linebacker in the base 3-4 defense, but also with his hand in the dirt as an edge-rusher when they deploy their nickel package.

However, with so many teams after edge-defenders, is it possible that Dupree will fall to the Steelers? Absolutely.

Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com believes that Dupree has the talent to be a top draft pick, but lacks the consistency on the field and could fall to the Steelers, via Scott Brown of ESPN.com:

"

You look at him in paper and say he’s a top-15 pick, at worst a top-25 pick. But I didn’t see consistent domination, and I saw some instances where there was a little bit of a lack of great instincts to find the ball. To me he’s a first-round pick, but you want to see if you can make him more consistent. As a pass-rusher you turn him loose with that skill set, he flashed it.

"

When it comes to replacing Worilds, the Steelers need to get back to their roots and find a dynamic playmaker. The only way the defense can improve is if they can find a way to get to the quarterback. In this year’s draft, few edge-defenders can match Dupree’s potential.

Dupree may not be an instant-impact player, but he is the type of prospect that can develop into a franchise player and one that the Steelers would be thrilled to take with their top selection.

Note: Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of Sports-Reference.com,  all combine results are courtesy of the NFL.com Draft Tracker, all draft rankings are courtesy of Matt Miller of Bleacher Report and all roster information is courtesy of Steelers.com.  

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