Bud Dupree is good, but Steelers edge defender can’t hold a candle to T.J. Watt

Bud Dupree is turning out to be quite the player for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but don’t kid yourself into thinking he’s on the same level as T.J. Watt.

It was hard to be too disappointed when the Steelers drafted Bud Dupree with the 22nd overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. Pittsburgh had a need for an edge defender and the 2015 draft was relatively weak overall, so taking a chance on the athletic Dupree was a good move.

Now in his sixth NFL season, the choice to draft Dupree looks better now than ever. For the first four years of his professional career, Dupree never collected more than 6.0 sacks in a single season. Though players started to give up hope on his development, Dupree soon proved doubters wrong.

In his fifth NFL season in 2019, Bud Dupree earned 11.5 sacks, 16 tackles for a loss, 17 and quarterback hits, according to Pro Football Reference – all career-high numbers for him. This year, he’s on track to do even better.

But don’t be fooled by raw statistics. While Dupree has admittedly made major strides since entering the league, his play should not be compared to the likes of Defensive Player of the Year candidate, T.J. Watt.

Why Dupree doesn’t come close to Watt

Obviously, it’s possible for Dupree and Watt to both be very good football players playing the same position on the same team. However, as good as Dupree has been in 2020, I feel like he is gradually becoming overrated.

From a numbers standpoint, Watt and Dupree really aren’t that similar. Here’s a look at how each edge defender has performed through the first six games of the season:

Though Dupree could end up with similar sack totals as Watt by the end of the 2020 season, T.J. is humiliating him in nearly every other measurable category. Currently, Watt is on the pace to triple Dupree in tackles for a loss in addition to earning nearly 20 more quarterback pressures this season.

But stats don’t tell the whole story (which is even more evidence that Watt is a far superior football player). In addition to owning Dupree in nearly every major statistical department, Watt is doing so while drawing the most attention from opposing offenses. The All-Pro edge defender has been double-teamed far more than Dupree and still has a higher pass-rush win rate.

If you are still having trouble deciphering between the talent level of these two players, I urge you to use the eye test. Go back and watch the film on NFL Game Pass and chart each snap for yourself. The way Watt wins despite consistently seeing more attention is infinitely more impressive than Dupree winning single-teamed or unblocked snaps.

At the end of the day, both Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt can be very good football players despite playing the same position on the Steelers, but Dupree doesn’t hold a candle to Watt on the football field. One is a very good player, the other is going to be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate for the second consecutive season.