CANTON, Ohio -- With Jarvis Jones and James Harrison in street clothes, Pittsburgh Steelers' first-rounder Bud Dupree seemed a natural fit to run with the first team alongside Arthur Moats in Sunday's Hall of Fame game loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
Nope, not quite. On the first series, the Steelers rolled out Shayon Green, an undrafted free agent from 2014 who hasn't played an NFL regular-season snap. As a side note, Green's rushing quickness was noticeable Sunday night.
By waiting until the second quarter to play Dupree, the Steelers made clear that first-round standing means little in this rotation. Dupree knows and accepts that.
"This is the Steelers. If this was a different team, I would think otherwise," said Dupree, the 22nd overall pick from Kentucky. "Being the Steelers, this organzition has already been established. We've got good players on the team already. Nothing is going to be given to you, I just have to go out there and take it."
That's the attitude the Steelers want, and Dupree's patience on the field seemed to work for him. Coach Mike Tomlin mentioned after the game he didn't worry about Dupree knowing where to be on the field, which is a most important step for rookies. If Tomlin notices a player, sometimes that's because he's messing up.
Dupree just sort of ... blended in. He did a good job chasing downfield on second-level running plays, and he almost got to the quarterback on an edge rush. Otherwise, it was a quiet night.
Dupree admitted he was exhausted between special teams and defensive work, but the experience of his first NFL action was a rush of anxiety and excitement.
"Didn't get too greedy. Didn't try to do too much," Dupree said. "As the season progresses, I'll start seeing how NFL teams play more. Then I can be able to make my moves."
On a night when the Vikings' high-profile rookie struggled, Dupree's low-key performance might be just what he needed.
