RD2 #5/#37: S Kyle Dugger, Lenoir-Rhyne

Dotrat

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FWIW, Mike Reiss tweeted an Our Lads scouting report that says he’s also a talented punt- and kick returner. So he could ultimately be both a Chung and Edelman on ST replacement.

Our Lads on Dugger
 
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JokersWildJIMED

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SS is an underrated need on the team and not easily replaced in house. Chung has been a key guy on that d for several years, but when he is out or banged up there has been a big drop off in overall effectiveness. Unfortunately Chung seems to get nicked up a lot and he is old.
 

EL Jeffe

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This is the future of football. Just like the NBA is moving to positionless basketball, the NFL is moving to the point where you need someone fast enough to spy Lamar Jackson one week, and big enough to cover Kelce the next week. Safety/LB hybrids who bring the best of both worlds. Dugger is a chess piece. Going D2 to the NFL, I dont think anyone expects him to be doing it Day 1, but that's the sort of role her can play. He's not Justin Simmons, but he's still pretty damn rare.
 

Red Averages

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This is the future of football. Just like the NBA is moving to positionless basketball, the NFL is moving to the point where you need someone fast enough to spy Lamar Jackson one week, and big enough to cover Kelce the next week. Safety/LB hybrids who bring the best of both worlds. Dugger is a chess piece. Going D2 to the NFL, I dont think anyone expects him to be doing it Day 1, but that's the sort of role her can play. He's not Justin Simmons, but he's still pretty damn rare.
Well said.
 

Seels

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I just can't agree with picking a 24 year old safety. Even if Chung and McCourty aren't on the team, the team still has other young defensive backs. The team has among the worst WR/TE situations in the league. Unless they just looked and said there's no chance that any of the remaining players are good fits -- I just can't see it. Even if Chung and McCourty are both gone in 2021, unless you're sure the plan is for this guy to start in the near future, why?

It just compounds the problem that we've had a history of drafting bullshit at the position. I hated the Williams pick last year for similar reasons. It only makes sense to me if the eye is more on 2021 then 2020.
 

tims4wins

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I just can't agree with picking a 24 year old safety. Even if Chung and McCourty aren't on the team, the team still has other young defensive backs. The team has among the worst WR/TE situations in the league. Unless they just looked and said there's no chance that any of the remaining players are good fits -- I just can't see it. Even if Chung and McCourty are both gone in 2021, unless you're sure the plan is for this guy to start in the near future, why?

It just compounds the problem that we've had a history of drafting bullshit at the position. I hated the Williams pick last year for similar reasons. It only makes sense to me if the eye is more on 2021 then 2020.
Does this mean Williams gets cut?
 

Caspir

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I’ve been drinking, but he is going to be Sean Taylor because I’m being optimistic.

I agree with Jeffe that on defense, the NFL is more strong, athletic, positionless types. Still wanted a receiver there though.
 

Soxy

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This is the future of football. Just like the NBA is moving to positionless basketball, the NFL is moving to the point where you need someone fast enough to spy Lamar Jackson one week, and big enough to cover Kelce the next week. Safety/LB hybrids who bring the best of both worlds. Dugger is a chess piece. Going D2 to the NFL, I dont think anyone expects him to be doing it Day 1, but that's the sort of role her can play. He's not Justin Simmons, but he's still pretty damn rare.
His former coach at Lenoir-Rhyne (feels like I'm typing out a French wine region instead of a college, but I digress) said as much. Makes him sound like a swiss army knife they can use in a lot of creative ways. Bolded for emphasis:

Joel Taylor was the defensive coordinator for Dugger at the school in Hickory, N.C. He told me that he’s never been around a guy with the combination of size, ability and football instincts that Dugger has. “You have guys that can run and jump but can’t play football. He can play the game,” he said. “His upside is high.”

It’s worth noting that Taylor, now the defensive coordinator at Mercer, has been around some special players, having served on the coaching staff at South Carolina State when the Bulldogs had future NFL standouts Darius Leonard and Javon Hargrave. Taylor’s biggest selling point on Dugger: his versatility.

“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.”


Dugger doesn’t have as much length as Leonard, the Indianapolis Colts second-round pick who ended up becoming the 2018 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, but Taylor said Dugger is a better-skilled athlete in open space and more explosive.
https://theathletic.com/1766358/2020/04/24/nfl-draft-kyle-dugger-new-england-patriots-safety-lenoir-rhyne/
 

Granite Sox

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This strikes me more as a Jamie Collins than Tavon Wilson. Although the casual fan may say “who?”, many draft pundits had him as a second round pick...
This is the future of football. Just like the NBA is moving to positionless basketball, the NFL is moving to the point where you need someone fast enough to spy Lamar Jackson one week, and big enough to cover Kelce the next week. Safety/LB hybrids who bring the best of both worlds. Dugger is a chess piece. Going D2 to the NFL, I dont think anyone expects him to be doing it Day 1, but that's the sort of role her can play. He's not Justin Simmons, but he's still pretty damn rare.
May be closer to Jamie Collins position-wise as well.

There were reports that Coach Bill wasn’t as worried about the dearth of LBs as the general fandom or media. I subscribe to El Jeffe’s theory of Dugger as a S/LB hybrid. Color me intrigued.
 

tims4wins

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Since 2011, the Patriots have drafted a league-high SEVEN(!) defensive backs in round 2: DB Kyle Dagger (37th overall) DB JoeJuan Williams (45th) DB Duke Dawson (56th) DB Cyrus Jones (60th) DB Jordan Richards (64th) DB Tavon Wilson (48th) DB Ras-I Dowling (33rd)
This doesn’t even include Wheatley or Darius
Butler
 

Soxy

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Does BB not always talk about evaluating guys based on their competition? I just.. don’t get it.
Jimmy G was a small school guy they took in the 2nd round. That ended up working out okay for all parties involved.
 

8slim

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BB knows a lot more about football than I do, and this is the guy he wanted. I don’t get the angst. It’ll either work out, or it won’t. Yeesh.
 

ZMart100

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I just can't agree with picking a 24 year old safety. Even if Chung and McCourty aren't on the team, the team still has other young defensive backs. The team has among the worst WR/TE situations in the league. Unless they just looked and said there's no chance that any of the remaining players are good fits -- I just can't see it. Even if Chung and McCourty are both gone in 2021, unless you're sure the plan is for this guy to start in the near future, why?

It just compounds the problem that we've had a history of drafting bullshit at the position. I hated the Williams pick last year for similar reasons. It only makes sense to me if the eye is more on 2021 then 2020.
BB drafted Chung and McCourty too. Chung was at #34 and if IIRC fans were upset about that as well. It worked out.
 

Seels

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BB drafted Chung and McCourty too. Chung was at #34 and if IIRC fans were upset about that as well. It worked out.
Did it?

Chung worked out because we have the hindsight today. But he certainly didn't work out on his first contract, and people around here hated him around 2011. Chung had a nice backhalf of his career, but if I'm told I can have the rookie contract of Patrick Chung all over again, hard pass.
 

Greekca

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https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2020-nfl-draft-superlatives-safeties
BEST BOX SAFETY: KYLE DUGGER, LENOIR-RHYNE


Don’t be surprised if Dugger is considered a linebacker by a number of teams with how explosive he is around the line of scrimmage. I wouldn’t put it past the 217-pounder to get it done. He attacks blocks and ball carriers with a ferocity that’s unmatched at the position in the draft class.

Sure seems like an area of need for the Pats.

Edit: However, I doubt he plays over 200 snaps on defense even if they play. Belichick isn’t afraid to redshirt guys.
 
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lexrageorge

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Dugger seems like one of those guys that meets the criteria that leaked out from Bill's days with the Browns. He may or may not work out, but using a 2nd round pick to both pick a freakishly athletic player and boost a position of need is not the worst use of resources. Safety may not be a glamorous position, but Harmon is gone and McCourty and Chung are both finishing up the 17th hole of their respective careers.
 

lexrageorge

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Since 2011, the Patriots have drafted a league-high SEVEN(!) defensive backs in round 2: DB Kyle Dagger (37th overall) DB JoeJuan Williams (45th) DB Duke Dawson (56th) DB Cyrus Jones (60th) DB Jordan Richards (64th) DB Tavon Wilson (48th) DB Ras-I Dowling (33rd)
This doesn’t even include Wheatley or Darius
Butler
You both forgot Rob Gronkowski (42nd), who played some snaps at corner for New England. One of which was rather memorable - if you were a Miami fan.
 

RetractableRoof

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I think if you look at what BB values in players, this was a good pick. Multiple positions on D, solid special teams (2 positions there as well). He knows the best way to match up with the current multiple look on offense that is prevalent is to have players who can play different looks without subbing. As others have said, a chess piece. I'm good with that - when he's a freak athlete to boot. BB moved down knowing he was going to be able to get this guy, and then probably get another he liked. When drafting, he often locks into a player, trades around, and then grabs them "early". If that's the case here, I'm good with the pick just based on BB getting what he wanted, versus what was available.
 

RedOctober3829

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For many that don’t know Kyle Dugger or Lenoir-Rhyne University, taking him with the 37th overall selection might be seen as a reach.

According to a league source, Dugger was a top 50 pick on most teams’ boards and would’ve come off the board shortly after New England made him their top choice in the 2020 draft.

The Patriots explored trade back scenarios, but either didn’t love the return or didn’t want to risk losing Dugger, which makes sense after two safeties went at 44 (Delpit) and 45 (Winfield).

Dugger was a bit of a reach at the top of the second round, as we had him as a third-round prospect, and will take time to adjust to the speed of the NFL game.

He also needs to improve his anticipation and eye discipline from high zone, as he gets run out of areas by dummy routes following receivers rather than the eyes of the quarterback.

But his elite athleticism, four-down value, positional flexibility, and tackling ability are hard to pass up for a team that needs a young safety.
The new Pats safety tested in the 99th percentile with a relative athletic score of 9.57 out of ten, trailing only Southern Illinois’s Jeremy Chinn as the most athletic safety in this class.

Dugger ran a 4.49 40-yard dash with a 42-inch vertical while broad jumping over 11 feet, giving him an elite combination of size (6-1, 217), speed, and explosiveness that are obvious on tape.
https://www.clnsmedia.com/film-review-who-is-new-patriots-safety-kyle-dugger/
 

SMU_Sox

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It wasn’t hard to talk myself into Dugger. Of the two FCS guys I liked Dugger over Chinn. Also, while he might not be a household name because of where he played 1) don’t scout the helmet, 2) he has been discussed by guys like Daniel Jeremiah for months now and dominated 1:1 drills at the senior bowl, and 3) seriously don’t scout the helmet. The theme with Uche and Dugger is what @EL Jeffe said. With Dugger year 1 he’s going to start on ST and that might be it. Year 2 and 3 though you’re talking about someone who could be a weapon on defense.

I don’t know about you all but I like to see 220 pound returners who can run a sub 4.5.
 

BaseballJones

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It wasn’t hard to talk myself into Dugger. Of the two FCS guys I liked Dugger over Chinn. Also, while he might not be a household name because of where he played 1) don’t scout the helmet, 2) he has been discussed by guys like Daniel Jeremiah for months now and dominated 1:1 drills at the senior bowl, and 3) seriously don’t scout the helmet. The theme with Uche and Dugger is what @EL Jeffe said. With Dugger year 1 he’s going to start on ST and that might be it. Year 2 and 3 though you’re talking about someone who could be a weapon on defense.

I don’t know about you all but I like to see 220 pound returners who can run a sub 4.5.
What makes me rest easier about this pick is that hedid very well in the senior bowl against top flight FBS talent. So yeah while I’d never heard of him or the school, and was as stunned as anyone when the pick was made, the fact that he seamlessly stepped in against top shelf FBS seniors and did very well solidifies this pick for me.
 

RedOctober3829

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NFL management certainly knew Duggar. Every team made it to Lenoir-Rhyne this year including some team's GM's and directors of player personnel. This is no Tavon Wilson-esque reach into the 2nd round. Duggar would not have been there to pick at 71 and Caserio noted that Duggar was one of three players they wrote down as players they really wanted coming into yesterday. The other was Uche.

Hopefully losing to the Titans results us in BB getting to see players he otherwise wouldn't have at the Senior Bowl and it benefiting the team long-term.
 

Zincman

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Perhaps BB's greatest strength is that he has never been afraid to make a mistake. If he makes one (and there is a good list) he either fixes it or moves on. This attitude allows to move around the board focusing on players he sees value in, experts and critics be damned. Yeah, there are Ras-I Dowlings but there are also Logan Mankins and a number of others that we wailed about, especially after the fact. Fortunately, he doesn't give a shit and is never going to make the safe Best Available pick that's hard to criticize but may not really be the player he needs or wants. He takes this process seriously but doesn't act like its life or death because his owner has his back and he doesn't care if anyone else does. He has the the freedom and balls to be what no other Coach/GM in the league is.... a truly independent thinker who trusts his people and himself to do what they think is best. Its liberating
 

Cotillion

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He probably wants to dip his balls in it or maybe I have the wrong The State sketch. Either way, I'm outta heeeeere.
Haha... what a great callback... loved the State.. but I wanna dip my balls and I'm out of here were too different characters