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The New England Patriots have only been in camp in pads for one day, but the team’s top rookie Kyle Dugger is already showing coaches where he might be best used early in his career.
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Kyle Dugger is Making His Mark as a Return Man
Dugger was the Patriots’ top draft choice in 2020. The safety from Lenoir-Rhyne is considered to be a versatile player with an ability to play in coverage, provide run coverage, and even some playmaking as a return man. The latter skill is what has been on display early on in Patriots practice.
“You search far and wide to try to find these guys,” said Patriots’ special teams coach Troy Brown. “It’s not an easy job finding them, and it’s not an easy job once you do find them to get those guys to do [things] correctly all the time.”
It appears as if the Patriots might have found one of those elusive guys in Dugger. In college, the 6’2″ 220-pounder set a school record with 929 return yards during his career for the Division II school. Dugger posted 4.45 speed at the NFL Combine, but it’s his quick-twitch athleticism and instincts as a ball carrier that makes him dangerous as a return man.
Other Possible Roles for Dugger
The moment Patrick Chung’s name
was announced as one of the eight Patriots opting out of the 2020 NFL season, his role became one of the most likely for Dugger to fill.
Furthermore, the injury to Brandon King might have opened a possibility for Dugger to play on special teams coverage.
In any case, it appears there are too many possibilities for Dugger across the roster for him not to find a meaningful spot.
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