Many were surprised to hear Lenoir-Rhyne safety Kyle Dugger's name called Friday night as the Patriots first selection of the 2020 NFL Draft, the No. 37 overall pick.
But the Division II star himself was by no means caught off guard following plenty of conversations with Bill Belichick and the New England staff throughout the pre-draft process.
And after performing well at the Senior Bowl this winter, any doubts that Dugger was an NFL-caliber player dissipated even if he didn't take the traditional route to the pros.
"For me it just gave me the opportunity to kind of solidify what I already knew, that I could play at this level," said Dugger, now the highest-drafted DII in the last century. "It just kind of gave me an extra boost of confidence."
Dugger was a versatile man among boys for Lenoir-Rhyne, including as a punt returner with six touchdowns on his resume. He missed time last season to a finger injury that he says is "almost 100 percent." At 6-0, 217 pounds, Dugger ran a 4.49 40 at the Combine after earning the Cliff Harris Award as the Division II Defensive Player of the Year despite playing in just seven games.
As the 24-year-old Georgia native begins his career in New England he's well aware of the safety room he'll be entering that includes aging veteran mainstays Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung.
"To be able to learn from guys like that…I do know about their intelligence, their football IQ, I watched them play for a long time and I know a lot about their versatility, how they can do anything you could ask of a DB on the football field," Dugger said. "So to be able to learn from guys that play at a level that high and have done it well for so long is a huge honor. I'm definitely going to be soaking up everything I can from them."
While Dugger's duties will be determined by his work in training camp and the preseason, he said he expects a "big role" on special teams, including a chance to contribute as a punt returner.
Comparing getting the draft call from the Patriots favorably to a feeling that "beats Christmas," Dugger is honored to join the New England organization to extend his football career.
And while many may see his background at a lower level at Lenoir-Rhyne as a mark against him, Dugger has a much different view of his college football experience.
"As far as a chip, there is definitely a mountain on my shoulder," Dugger admitted. "It's definitely something that's going to be permanent that I'm going to carry throughout my career. Division II football was different in that the program wasn't made to produce NFL players. So a lot of things, if I wanted to get better I would have to take them into my own hands as far as my work ethic, the way I approached myself, how I critiqued myself. I really had to go the extra mile and not just look at who I was playing against but compare it to what I was trying to get to."
Where he got to was the top pick of Belichick's Patriots in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
