It was a bit of an unorthodox pick, but the New England Patriots selected Kyle Dugger with their first pick of the draft. Taken 37th overall, Dugger brings a combination of solid tackling and ball hawking skills to the secondary. A safety, Dugger certainly fills an area of need for New England.
When you take a look at the ages of Patrick Chung and Devon McCourty, the Patriots needed depth at the position. A stout defensive player for Lenior-Rhyne, Dugger should be able to bring a plethora of skills to the Patriots defense. At the very least, he should usher in a new era at the safety position.
Here are four things you need to know about the Patriots first draft pick of 2020.
Duggar had a monster senior year
Dugger had a monster senior year in 2020. Appearing in only seven games, he was the recipient of the Cliff Harris award, which is given to the best defensive player in Division II.
He recorded 31 tackles, two interceptions, and six pass deflections. He also managed to make an impact on special teams. He was named the National Special Teams Player of the Week after returning two punts for touchdowns against UVA-Wise. He became the only player in program history to have two games with two punt returns for touchdowns.
He was a pretty solid player throughout his college career, but his senior year really vaulted him towards success. Now, he will enter a New England defense that needs help at the safety position. A youth infusion is much-needed.