Where does Steelers OLB Bud Dupree go in a 2015 NFL re-draft?

The Steelers got terrific production out of former 1st round pick Bud Dupree in 2019. Where would the pass rusher land in a 2015 NFL re-draft?

After his fourth season on the Steelers, fans were getting fed up with the lack of production from former 2015 first-round pick, Bud Dupree. Despite playing in all 16 games in 2018, Dupree didn’t seem to make much of an impact on the football field and he managed just 5.5 sacks and 8 tackles or a loss last season.

While many fans didn’t agree with Pittsburgh’s choice of giving Dupree the fifth-year option, we can all be glad they did at this point. Dupree, the former 22nd overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, finally came alive in his fifth NFL season – exploding for 68 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 16 tackles for a loss, 17 quarterback hits, 4 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries. He reached new career highs in each measurable statistic and proved to be a solid counterpart to star pass rusher, T.J. Watt.

After such an excellent season in Pittsburgh this year, where would Bud Dupree find himself in a re-draft of the 2015 NFL draft class?

The 2015 NFL Draft certainly won’t be one that goes down in history as one of the all-time greats. It included players at the top like Jameis Winston, Marcus Mariota, Donte Fowler, and Kevin White. While players like Amari Cooper, Todd Gurley, and Marcus Peters have certainly lived up to their first-round billing, others have fallen well short.

Because of this, it stands to reason that Bud Dupree could climb near the top of the 2015 class was to be re-drafted today. Two edge rushers were drafted ahead of Dupree in 2015. Dante Fowler Jr. was the 3rd overall pick of the Jaguars, and Vic Beasley landed on the Falcons with 8th overall pick. However, Dupree outpaced both players in statistical production in 2019:

Stats don’t always tell the whole tale, and both Fowler and Beasley have been more productive than Dupree in the past. In fact, Vic Beasley was even elected First-Team All-Pro in 2016 after a 15.5 sack performance.

However, as of late, it has been the Steelers defender making a splash. Unfortunately, this likely means that he may churn out a bigger contract extension for his most recent efforts.

Also drafted ahead of Dupree in 2015 were players like Kevin White, Eric Flowers, Cameron Erving, and Cedric Ogbui – none of which would be off the board ahead of him in a re-draft. However, it also stands to reason that Dupree could now earn a higher draft status than any of the pass rushers in the 2015 class not named Danielle Hunter.

With so many players at so many different positions, it’s impossible to predict exactly where Bud Dupree would land in a re-draft of the 2015 NFL draft class. However, after his breakout performance in 2019 and because of the value of NFL pass rushers, it’s entirely possible that Dupree would find himself inside the top 15 picks.