While Patriots rookie safety Kyle Dugger only played 11 defensive snaps and eight special teams snaps in Sunday's win over the Dolphins, he's made a great impression on his teammates.
Speaking via video conference Monday, safety Adrian Phillips said Dugger reminds him of Derwin James, who was a first-team All-Pro as a rookie in 2018.
“The first thing that I noticed was he’s smart,” Phillips said. “We didn’t get a chance to meet in person for a long time because we did everything virtually. But going through the meetings, this is a guy that can pick up on the scheme real quick. I would say this isn’t the easiest scheme to pick up. There’s a lot of things that go into it, but once you get it, you got it.
“And the way that he just picked it up and he’s able to talk ball, seeing that in a rookie, you really don’t see that a lot of times. The only other time that I’ve really seen that was with Derwin James. So I noticed that a little bit. And when you see him in person, it’s just his physical stature — like 6-2, 6-3, you know, big guy. And he’s running, and he’s able to cover the tight ends, he can get down in the box, he can knock some heads off. So he’s solid.
“It’s good to see how much in tune he is with watching film and stuff like that as a rookie, because a lot of times, rookies are just trying to find their way. They still might be into the college mentality. But he came in like he’s a pro already, so it’s cool to see it.”
Phillips and James were teammates with the Chargers.
Dugger was the Patriots’ first selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, as he was selected No. 37 overall out of D-II Lenoir-Rhyne.
The rookie should continue to see his role expand as the year goes on.