The New England Patriots shocked the NFL world by drafting a Division II safety with their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Bill Belichick grabbed Kyle Dugger out of Lenoir-Rhyne with the No. 37 pick. Dugger is an extremely athletic safety who’s capable of playing multiple positions and thriving in the NFL with the right organization. But, he’s far from a player who’s ready to get into the league and make an immediate impact.

The Patriots had LSU safety Grant Delpit and Minnesota safety Antoine Winfield Jr. on the board — who have much more accomplished collegiate careers. Belichick decided to go with Dugger and trusts that his ability in Division II football will translate to the NFL.

Here’s our grade for the pick: C+

This grade could be entirely wrong and Dugger could prove he’s ready to produce as soon as this season. But, with the information at hand, it’s difficult to believe that Dugger is the best pick New England could’ve made at No. 37.

To begin, the Patriots’ secondary is one of the deepest groups on the team and they have dire needs for the tight end, quarterback, linebacker and defensive end positions. New England has Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, Adrian Phillips and Terrence Brooks as the primary safeties on the team — with an exceptional group of cornerbacks.

Dugger doesn’t fill any of the team’s immediate needs and they traded down to get him — with players like LSU linebacker Patrick Queen on the board still. He’ll likely spend the season behind Chung and learn the ropes from one of New England’s longest-tenured players.

He does bring some positives that could make him a role player this year and his versatility has everything to do with it. Dugger is 6-foot, 217 pounds and can play the box safety role and even some linebacker. He returned six punts for touchdowns in college and can make an immediate impact on for the special teams unit.

Dugger won the Division II Player of the Year award last season and has freakish abilities as an athlete. He also is a cerebral player who’ll be able to pick Belichick’s mind and grind his way into a meaningful role on the team.

Dugger’s physical ability isn’t in question with this grade — it’s the fact that New England couldn’t wait and missed on some extremely gifted players.

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