2020 NFL Draft: New England Patriots swing for fences with Kyle Dugger pick

The New England Patriots swing for the fences with their selection of Kyle Dugger in the 2020 NFL Draft.

After trading out of the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots made defense a priority in the second round, snagging Kyle Dugger at pick No. 37. If Alabama safety Xavier McKinney were available, I imagine that he would have been the pick for Bill Belichick and company. However, old pal Joe Judge and the New York Giants snagged McKinney right in front of the New England Patriots at pick No. 36.

Don’t worry though Pats’ fans, Dugger is an exciting player who undoubtedly has massive upside in this defense. Dugger joins the Patriots out of Division II school Lenoir-Rhyne. Making that jump from Division II to the NFL is never easy, but Dugger is an extremely talented player who could come in and make an immediate impact on this team.

Dugger was a ridiculously dominant safety in college who showed tremendous natural coverage ability and fantastic ball skills. He is an extremely athletic safety prospect who shows high-level play speed great toughness in-the-box. Dugger is also a bigger defensive back prospect who could even play some linebacker at the next level. I expect that the New England Patriots highly-value his versatility and look at Dugger as a bit of a swiss-army knife in their defense.

Dugger’s combination of speed, athleticism and toughness will also make him a great fit for special teams at the next level. He is an impact punt returner and shows big-time upside on the kick coverage teams. I expect that the Pats will use Dugger as a big-time special teams asset early in his career while also creating some packages for him on defense. The plan is likely for him to eventually take over for Patrick Chung at the strong safety position.