While the talk from the 2016 season wasn't about the defense, the end of the season saw a lot of upside on that side of the ball. While the Steelers struggled to generate pressure for most of the season, the defense led the NFL in sacks in the last seven weeks of the regular season.
The late-season push propelled the team to the ninth-most sacks during the regular season. That stretch had a direct correlation to the return of Bud Dupree. After missing half the season due to injury, Dupree was slowly worked back into the rotation at outside linebacker.
Once Dupree was back to getting reps regularly, he exploded for 4.5 sacks in the final four regular season games. He even had a half a sack in the team's first playoff game against the Dolphins.
Dupree as a second-year player performed at a solid level in the limited action he saw. Not only did he create pressure, causing sacks and turnovers, but he was an asset in defending the run as well.
But today we primarily focus on Dupree's production in the pass rush and how that could provide huge benefits for the Steelers in 2017.
Dupree's reputation always included having good burst off the line, ever since he was at Kentucky. What he has developed since coming to the NFL is how to complement that with solid hand-fighting techniques.
Watch how he gets around the edge with a simple hand slap and forces Robert Griffin III to fumble:
Dupree still has a lot of work to do to create consistent pressure from the outside, but he showed improvement last season and that should be a great sign for the Steelers moving forward. He improved his pass rush skills and ability to use leverage to beat opposing tackles.
Take his half-sack against the Dolphins in the playoffs; he went solo against Ja'Wuan James, a first-round pick with a year more experience than Dupree, and was able to drive him into the pocket, adjust to the quarterback and finish the play:
Dupree making plays like this more consistently could help end key drives for opponents in big games. While he still has to improve his techniques to win those solo battles more often, the one thing he is not short on is effort.
Dupree is a fighter who doesn't give up on a play, even after he exerts a solid effort with his first move. He will look to fight two or three different times until he finishes the job. He is also explosive enough to chase down faster quarterbacks.
Watch how he gains outside leverage initially in the play below, then drives to the inside shoulder to chase Tyrod Taylor from the pocket, and then just as quickly disengages and chases him down for the sack:
These are the hustle plays that make me excited to see what Dupree can do in a full season as a starter. When he puts it all together, Dupree could be the wrecking ball at outside linebacker the Steelers desperately need.
What should be encouraging to Steelers fans is that Dupree looks like he could be on his way to putting the pieces together for himself. Our own Mark Kaboly reported last month on the noticeable physical improvements Dupree had made in the offseason.
Now, if Dupree combines that with a few more well-polished pass rush moves, the Steelers could be looking at their first double-digit sack man in several years.