Steelers “Sour 16” Bracket: 1996 Jamain Stephens vs. 2015 Alvin “Bud” Dupree

BTSC continues to look at the least successful first round selections since 1969 with a matchup between a possible front runner for the title and a current player who still could flourish.

But first, here are the most recent results from BTSC’s “Steelers Sour 16”.

• 82% 1999 Troy Edwards (898 votes)
• 18% 2009 Ziggy Hood (191 votes)

1089 votes total

Edwards moves on to face Jarvis Jones, but first...you help decide who advances between a Cowher and Tomlin selection in our latest first round battle.

1996 Round 1 Pick 29

OT Jamain Stephens-North Carolina A&T

Jamain Stephens had great size and was selected as a “project” with the second-to-last pick of the ‘96 draft. The Steelers could afford to do that because of boasting a solid offensive line and having just come off of a season in which they were runners-up in the Super Bowl. However, Stephens was believed to have had poor conditioning habits and a suspect work ethic. After Stephens showed up allegedly over 350 pounds at the beginning of 1999’s training camp in Latrobe and failed to complete the customary 40-yard runs, Bill Cowher cut him almost immediately that day. Legend has it that Stephens also consumed an entire pizza on the Steeler sideline during pregame warmups of a game.

2015 Round 1 Pick 22

OLB Alvin “Bud” Dupree-Kentucky

At 269 pounds, Dupree is a large man coming off of the edge and has had 14.5 sacks the past three seasons. Dupree missed a majority of the 2016 season due to a sports hernia injury, but still recorded 4.5 sacks in seven games vicious throttling Miami’s Matt Moore in the playoffs that year. Before 2017, the pass-rushing coach and guru, Chuck Smith, worked with Dupree in the offseason and forecasted No. 48 as a potential winner of the Defensive Player of the Year Award. However, Dupree looked lost at times last year and was also not employed as a pass rusher as much as having been dropped back into coverage. 2018 seems to be a make-or-break season for Bud in the Burgh. Frankly, I don’t find Dupree deserving of being included in this poll, but it goes to show how solid Pittsburgh drafts are. Also, the readers helped vote him in. So there you go. Hopefully, Bud’s 2018 lands Dupree in the “Too Sweet 16” bracket.

Be sure to vote below in the poll and keep coming back to BTSC for more offseason fun.