Patriots.com will offer capsule looks at all 10 members of the Patriots draft class over the next several days. Today we start with the team's first selection, second-round safety Kyle Dugger.
Kyle Dugger, S: 2nd round, 37th overall
Height: 6-2
Weight: 220 lbs
Born: 3/22/1996
College: Lenoir-Rhyne
Hometown: Decatur, Ga.
Strengths: Ideal size and speed for position. … Versatility to move closer to line of scrimmage and perhaps even switch to linebacker. … Good range and toughness. … Explosive as punt returner with six career touchdowns. … Plays with physicality and aggressiveness. … Highly competitive. … Excellent ball skills. … Excellent tackler who should be productive on special teams.
Weaknesses: Will be making a huge leap from Division II level to the NFL. … His abundant physical gifts allowed him to simply react to the ball without always processing situations properly. … Can get caught watching at times and gets manipulated. … Will need to improve his ability to read and diagnose plays more quickly at the next level rather than simply finding the ball and chasing it down as he did in college.
Personal: Two-year letterman in both football and basketball at Whitewater (Fayetteville, Georgia) HS. … Earned first-team All-County in football and All-County honorable mention in basketball. … Studied engineering and physics at Lenoir-Rhyne and hopes to become an architect after his playing days. … Won the Cliff Harris Award as the top small college defensive player in the country. … Only Division II player to attend the Combine. … Brother played basketball at LaGrange University. Mother, Kimberly, played basketball at Fort Valley State and is in the team's Hall of Fame. … Twitter handle is @KingDugg_3
Comparable NFL player: Gerald Sensabaugh, S, Retired – Similar size and athleticism, Sensabaugh enjoyed a solid eight-year career with Jacksonville and Dallas.
View photos of Patriots DB Kyle Dugger in action from the 2020 Senior Bowl and NFL Combine.
South safety Kyle Dugger of Lenoir Rhyne (23) during the first half of the Senior Bowl college football game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Lenoir Rhyne defensive back Kyle Dugger works out for scouts as the South squad runs drills during practice for the Senior Bowl Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2020, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
South safety Kyle Dugger of Lenoir Rhyne (23) during the first half of the Senior Bowl college football game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
South safety Kyle Dugger of Lenoir Rhyne (23) carries the ball during the first half of the Senior Bowl college football game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
South safety Kyle Dugger of Lenoir Rhyne (23) during the first half of the Senior Bowl college football game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
South safety Kyle Dugger of Lenoir Rhyne (23) during the first half of the Senior Bowl college football game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Lenoir-Rhyne defensive back Kyle Dugger speaks during a press conference at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)
Lenoir-Rhyne defensive back Kyle Dugger runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Lenoir-Rhyne defensive back Kyle Dugger runs the 40-yard dash at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Lenoir-Rhyne defensive back Kyle Dugger runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Lenoir-Rhyne defensive back Kyle Dugger runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Lenoir-Rhyne defensive back Kyle Dugger runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Lenoir-Rhyne defensive back Kyle Dugger runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Lenoir-Rhyne defensive back Kyle Dugger runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Lenoir-Rhyne defensive back Kyle Dugger runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Lenoir-Rhyne defensive back Kyle Dugger runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Sunday, March 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
BY THE NUMBERS
| YEAR | GP | U | A | TT | PD | FF | FR | INT | YDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Did not play - Redshirt | ||||||||
| 2015 | 10 | 30 | 13 | 43 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 28 |
| 2016 | Did not play - Medical Redshirt | ||||||||
| 2017 | 10 | 57 | 30 | 87 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2018 | 14 | 50 | 26 | 76 | 13 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 43 |
| 2019 | 7 | 15 | 16 | 31 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 93 |
| Totals | 42 | 152 | 85 | 237 | 36 | 6 | 6 | 10 | 164 |
PUNT RETURNS
| YEAR | NO. | YDS. | AVG. | LG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Did not play - Redshirt | ||||
| 2015 | 4 | 23 | 5.8 | 18 | 1 |
| 2016 | Did not play - Medical Redshirt | ||||
| 2017 | 20 | 197 | 9.9 | 38 | 1 |
| 2018 | 31 | 534 | 17.2 | 69 | 2 |
| 2019 | 12 | 175 | 14.6 | 68 | 2 |
| Totals | 67 | 929 | 13.9 | 69 | 6 |
WORKOUT NUMBERS
| DUGGER | COMBINE AVG. FOR POS. | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 6-1 | 5-11 |
| Weight | 217 | 205 |
| 40 Yards | 4.49 | 4.54 |
| Bench (225) | 17 | 17 |
| Vertical Jump | 42.0 | 32.2 |
| Long Jump | 134.0 | 126.2 |
| Shuttle | DNP | 4.22 |
| Cone | DNP | 6.93 |
DNP = Did Not Participate in Drill
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING....
A small-school standout with exceptional physical tools, Dugger displays cornerback-like skills as a safety but also shows enough toughness and physicality to play within the box. As an outstanding punt returner, he could make significant contributions as a two-phase playmaker for the Patriots. NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks
