The New England Patriots dug deep for their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
New England selected Division II safety Kyle Dugger out of Lenoir-Rhyne with the No. 37 pick. The Patriots traded out down from their No. 23 pick to obtain the No. 37 and No. 71 picks — and it makes sense now. Bill Belichick knew he could grab Dugger with a later pick and capitalized on the opportunity.
Dugger is a 6-foot, 217 pound box safety who carries a similar skillset to Patrick Chung. He earned Division II Player of the Year last season and has the capability of playing the linebacker position as well. He was a four-year starter who plays a gritty game and makes an impact on the special teams unit as well — recording six punt returns in his career.
The secondary is one of New England’s deepest parts of the team, but they need some youth at the safety position. Devin McCourty and Chung are both 32-years-old, leaving some uncertainty on their future as top-tier players in the league.
Dugger carries a level of versatility and athleticism that Belichick couldn’t pass up. He ran a 4.49 40-yard dash and a recorded a 42-inch vertical — giving him a unique combination of speed and size. Dugger’s college defensive coordinator Joel Taylor spoke about his versatility and ability to play multiple positions.
“He can play nine spots on the field (at the college level except interior DL),” Taylor said. “So whoever becomes his defensive coordinator will have fun with him. A guy like him gives you the ability to be very creative with schemes and be multiple without changing packages.”
The Patriots landed a freak athlete with an underdog story — it usually works out in Belichick’s favor.
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