Subscribe
Follow Us
In his first three years in the league, linebacker Bud Dupree has become a staple piece to the defense for the Pittsburgh Steelers behind his steady play in their front seven.
Dupree has been one of their most consistent pass rushers piling up 14.5 sacks in 38 career regular-season games. With that in mind, the 25-year-old has voiced that he believes he can notch double-figure sack totals this upcoming season, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
“I just left double-digit sacks on the field,” said Dupree, a third-year pass-rusher who finished with a career-high six in 2017. “I still can get double-digit sacks even though I’m in coverage a lot. I just have to capitalize on my opportunities. I’ve just got to close the deal.”
He has a chance to breakthrough this upcoming season with an increased role that could see him become the franchise's first outside linebacker to notch at least 10.0 sacks since former Pro Bowlers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley did so in the 2010 season. What makes matters more intriguing is that he is currently on the fourth-year of his four-year, $9.2 million rookie deal that has a $2.9 million cap hit for the 2018 campaign.
There are plenty of motivating factors on the table for Dupree to prove that he can be a long-term piece to the puzzle in Pittsburgh while earning a multi-year lucrative contract. He has already shown that he can be a productive player when is on the field, but it's just a matter of showing more consistency in his performance.
The opportunities will be there for Dupree to finally experience a breakout year that he envisions he can put forth that could establish him as one of the premier young pass rushers in the league. He is set to enter the physical prime that may see him finally off into stardom.
