Kyle Dugger 2020 NFL Draft Profile

Kyle Dugger 2020 NFL Draft Profile

After getting overlooked for the vast majority of his career, Lenoir-Rhyne’s own Kyle Dugger is set to make a name for himself in the NFL. The Georgia native is likely to be the first player taken from Lenoir-Rhyne since 2000, and with good reason. While injuries limited him to seven games, he still managed to win the Cliff Harris Award. For those unfamiliar, this award goes out to the best defensive player in Division II football. In addition to the Cliff Harris Award, Dugger was Second-Team All-American and First-Team All-Conference honors.

Not bad for someone that wasn’t even ranked coming out of high school.

Strengths

Athletic freak, both on film and during the NFL Combine;

Easily the best player in every game he played as a Senior;

Fantastic burst and quick acceleration;

Ideal size for the position and should hold up in run support;

Takes good angles and doesn’t miss tackles;

Versatile player with tools to play both safety positions;

Explosive punt returner that can immediately contribute on special teams.

Weaknesses

Played against laughably weak competition and will need to prove he can hold up to elite competition;

Subpar anticipation – relied solely on burst to close gaps;

Can be manipulated in zone coverage by underneath routes;

Locks in on receivers rather than the quarterback;

Occasional lack of effort, although this may be due to the underwhelming competition.

NFL Comparison: Eric Reid

Projection: Second round

Bottom Line on Kyle Dugger

Based on raw tools and nothing else, Kyle Dugger could end up being the best safety in this class. The Lenoir-Rhyne product looks like one of the most athletic players in the draft on tape, and NFL Combine testing proves that it wasn’t just due to the lack of competition. Dugger has fantastic acceleration and can close a ridiculous amount of space in a short amount of time. He has the size to hold his own in the run game and should be able to play both safety positions at a high level. As a bonus, Dugger also has a history of success on special teams which will be a positive draw to most coaching staffs.

Dugger has a high ceiling, but one of the lowest floors in the class. The Georgia native played against laughably easy competition and never had to face much of a real challenge. He reportedly held his own in the Senior Bowl, but he’s still going to deal with a dramatic adjustment to NFL competition. Because he was so much more talented than everyone around him, he never had to learn the subtle nuances of the position. Dugger was able to get away with playing receivers rather than reading the quarterback in zone coverage, and that’s not going to work at the NFL level. Dugger has first-round upside, but he’s a relatively high-risk prospect that should probably go midway through the second round.