Just what are the Patriots getting in their top draft choice of 2020, safety Kyle Dugger?
Our Phil Perry went to one of the coaches who knows the second-round draft pick best, his former defensive coordinator at Lenoir-Rhyne, Joel Taylor.
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Taylor, now the defensive coordinator at Mercer, saw first-hand Dugger's development from a Division II college safety to the 37th overall pick in the NFL draft. He shared his thoughts with Perry on the latest edition of the Next Pats Podcast.
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The immediate comparison Patriots fans drew to the 6-foot-1, 217-pound safety was Patrick Chung, the 5-11, 215-pounder who has carved out a successful career in New England as a kind of hybrid box safety/linebacker.
Taylor offered another comparison, Los Angeles Chargers strong safety Derwin James, 6-2, 215, who was a Pro Bowl selection in his rookie season of 2018 after being drafted 17th overall out of Florida State.
"Patrick Chung is a great comparison to him," Taylor said. "I like to compare him to Derwin James. Just his pure size and his speed and his power, his coachability. I think Kyle's going to be that type of player one day."
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Taylor said with Dugger's versatility the Patriots' use of Dugger "can be as broad as they want with Kyle. They'll find the perfect spot for him."
While playing at a small school may have left him off the radar in New England leading up to the draft, Taylor said the steady stream of NFL scouts' visits to Lenor Rhyne in Hickory, N.C., let him know he had something special in Dugger.
"We had multiple guys from multiple teams come through," Taylor said. "The Buffalo Bills, they came to our school at least four or five times. That's when I knew Kyle was the real deal."
For more behind-the-scenes insight on Dugger, listen to the full Next Pats podcast.