Houston Texans Will Look Hard At Outside Linebacker In The Draft
By Travis Oquin
Nov 29, 2014; Louisville, KY, USA; Louisville Cardinals wide receiver Kai De La Cruz (12) catches a pass under the pressure of Kentucky Wildcats defensive end Alvin Dupree (2) during the second half at Papa John
Alvin “Bud” Dupree (1st round)
6’4”, 269 – Kentucky
Bud Dupree might be slightly more realistic to be there for the Texans at 16 in the first round. Dupree is bigger than Beasley but is chiseled and a tremendous athlete in his own right with speed, quickness and power. He ran 4.56 in the 40-yard dash and a 42-inch vertical at the combine as well as.
Durpee is good at switching back and forth between playing the run and rushing the quarterback as the play dictates. But is also explosive to the ball and will really come up and lay the wood to somebody.
Sep 27, 2014; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats defensive end Alvin Dupree (2) celebrates during the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores in the second half at Commonwealth Stadium. Kentucky defeated Vanderbilt 17-7. Mandatory Credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Scouts are projecting Dupree as primarily a pass rusher, but Kentucky moved him all around their defense and where ever he was he made plays as seen here against Louisville.
Dupree was also asked to drop into coverage quite a bit at Kentucky and showed that it is a skill that he possesses and can grow as a pro player. This aspect along with his versatility make him a prime candidate for the Texans at 16 in the first round and there is a solid chance that he is there at 16.
His ability to stop the run and rush the passer and drop into coverage make Dupree a perfect replacement for the departed Brooks Reed and can give the Texans a versatile player that can be asked to do a number of things and has the athletic ability and savvy to do so.
Dupree very well may fit the mantra of best player on the board when the pick comes up at 16 and of course you want that to be a position that you can actually use in your short-term plans and I believe Dupree does that.