May 2, 2015 4 min read

PITTSBURGH – There was a change in philosophy in more ways than one for the Steelers in this week’s draft, which concluded Saturday.

Typically, the Steelers have split their draft picks evenly between offense and defense since Kevin Colbert became general manager in 2000.

But this draft saw the Steelers take six defensive players and just two on the offensive side of the ball as they attempted to rectify some issues of depth and lack of playmaking ability.

And they were willing to roll the dice on some guys more than they have done in the past, not in terms of character, but in risk versus reward.

In first-round pick, outside linebacker Bud Dupree, the Steelers feel they got a player with the potential to be a dynamic pass rusher. Guys who are 6-4, 269 pounds who can run a 4.56 40-yard dash as Dupree can don’t grow on trees.

But in the case of Dupree, the Steelers had to project, to a certain degree, what they feel he can be down the road. Dupree had 23.5 career sacks at Kentucky, but never more than 7.5 in a season.

His measurables were too good to pass up.

“He’s a unique animal,” head coach Mike Tomlin said.

It was a high-risk, high-reward move the Steelers haven’t typically made in the first round of the draft. More often, they have played it safe, making sure they got a player they knew was going to be productive.

In the secondary, the chances were based more on measurable traits than production.

The Steelers selected cornerbacks Senquez Golson of Mississippi in the second round and Doran Grant of Ohio State in the fourth and free safety Gerod Holliman of Louisville in the seventh round.

Those three combined for 29 interceptions in 2014, including 14 by Holliman and 10 by Golson.

So why did they last so long in the draft?

Golson is 5-9, Grant is 5-10 and Holliman didn’t run well at the combine.

“We felt really good about the tangible evidence that these guys were good picks opposed to hypothetical evidence or upside, what they ran or jumped or things of that nature,” said Tomlin. “These guys had impressive plays on 2014 college tape that lends itself to believe that we have very good productivity and tangible football players in terms of ability and what they were able to do at the college level.”

So in the case of Dupree, the Steelers were willing to take a chance on a freak athlete whose production didn’t necessarily match his skill set. And in the case of the defensive backs they selected, it was production over skill set.

Will that contrast in philosophies work? Possibly. The Steelers feel they can teach Dupree to be a better, more productive pass rusher.

And for a team that had just 33 and 34 sacks in the past two seasons, that’s sorely needed, though keeping Jones healthy and on the field also would help.

In the secondary, they have long had a need for players who have shown the ability to make interceptions. For far too long, they relied almost entirely on Troy Polamalu to be that guy. But he hasn’t been that kind of player the past few years and has since retired.

The Steelers haven’t recorded more than 11 interceptions in a season since 2010. Not coincidentally, that was the last year they won a playoff game.

With an offense that has a chance to be a top-five unit, the Steelers don’t need their defense to be a shut-down unit. But they do need it to be more productive than it has been the past couple of seasons.

They obviously drafted with that in mind.

F. Dale Lolley can be reached at dlolley@observer-reporter.com.