2020 NFL Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers top positional needs

Edge Rusher/Outside Linebacker

Dupree has been a regular fixture on the Steelers defensive line for five seasons now. Dupree was selected in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft and showed promise as an edge rusher for the team.

After playing on his fifth-year option for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019, it is time for the team to decide whether to sign him to a long-term contract, franchise/transition tag him or let him test free agency. Dupree had the best season of his career in 2019, racking up a total of 11.5 sacks, 49 solo tackles, 17 quarterback hits and played in all 16 games for the first time in his NFL career, according to Pro-Football Reference.

Until 2019 many fans and analysts had an unfavorable view of Dupree’s career in Pittsburgh. Considering he was a first-round pick in 2015, many considered him to have underperformed during his first four seasons, relative to expectations.

Several media outlets have hypothesized that the Steelers may apply the franchise or transition tag on Dupree for the 2020 season. To see if the 2019 season was merely an outlier season or the new normal for Dupree.

Since Dupree is listed as a linebacker by the team, the franchise tag would give Dupree nearly $16 million for 2020, while a transition tag would pay him nearly $14 million.

The best thing for the Pittsburgh Steelers to do here is to let Dupree go as a free agent. He may have had a better season in 2019 than he had in all earlier seasons. But his injury history and inconsistency during his career are two gigantic red flags that make even franchise tagging Dupree in 2020 a risky proposition.

While Dupree made some incredible sacks in 2019, they were mostly one-off disruptions into the backfield, followed by lackluster pressure for the rest of the game. These types of big plays are inconsistent year to year and it is questionable whether they can be replicated going forward in his career.

According to PFF, Dupree has never had a pressure rate that cracked 12 percent in any season since joining the Steelers. During his 2019 surge in production, his pressure rate still stayed very low, finishing the season at 10.1 percent, which is ranked 70th among NFL pass rushers.

Contrast that with Steelers teammate T.J. Watt, who has been far more consistent in his pass-rush since being drafted in 2017. Watt has racked up more sacks than Dupree in just two seasons compared to Dupree’s five. In 2019 Watt pressured the opposing quarterback 59 times while Dupree only got 28 pressures.

Watt will be entering the fourth season of his rookie contract in 2020. If the Steelers tag Dupree, that could very well mean both pass-rushers will be seeking new contracts this time next year.

The Steelers should prioritize the more consistent pass-rusher and either draft Dupree’s replacement or bring in a cheaper free agent in 2020. According to Spotrac, there are 112 free agent edge defenders in 2020, along with 55 outside linebackers. While they may not all be as physically imposing as Dupree, they can match Dupree’s production at a much lower cost.

Free Agent Replacement: If the Pittsburgh Steelers are looking for a short-term replacement in free agency, they could pick up Vinny Curry. A free agent in 2020 after playing most of his career with the Philadelphia Eagles, he is a veteran edge defender at 31 years old and has played for eight seasons in the NFL.

With 18 pressures and five sacks in 2019, he isn’t going to match Dupree’s 2019 breakout season. But considering Dupree ended his first four seasons averaging five sacks a season, he wouldn’t completely be off the mark either.

Curry is coming off a one year/$2.25 million deal with the Eagles, according to Spotrac. He could be brought in to the Steelers roster at a comparative value. Even if he isn’t as good as Dupree, at that price Colbert could sign six more free agents like Curry and it still wouldn’t cost as much as tagging Dupree for one season.

2020 NFL Draft prospects: Notre Dame’s Julian Okwara would make an excellent addition to the Steelers defense. Okwara played for four seasons for the Fighting Irish and made a nice reputation as a backfield disruptor and run defender. He is also able to get consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks, something Dupree has struggled with since coming to the NFL.

Projected as an early Day Two edge defender in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Steelers would have to move quickly if they want to see Okwara on their defense next season. Okwara is familiar playing in a 3-4 base defense at Notre Dame, which would make his transition to the Steelers significantly easier.

At 6-foot-5, Okwara generated consistent pressure in college. Over the last two seasons, Okwara racked up 19 tackles for a loss and 13 sacks, along with three forced fumbles. He can play off-ball and is versatile on the defensive line, rushing from the left and right side.