Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne, Height 6'1", Weight 217lbs
Kyle Dugger is precisely the kind of defender that fits "modern" NFL defenses. Despite his fit in the NFL, Dugger played his college ball in division II and would be the first player drafted from Lenoir-Rhyne since 2000. The lack of competition he faced in Division II last year could cause him to slide down the draft. However, his combine performance and NFL ready body could have the opposite effect. It will be fascinating to see what team and when takes a chance on Dugger.
Combine
As I mentioned, Dugger proved that he is an NFL athlete that's for sure. From a purely athletic standpoint, he's everything you could ask for. Let's give this a comparison to another one of my draft crushes of recent years, Derwin James.
James burst onto the scene in his rookie year of 2018, playing excellently with the Chargers. He basically allowed them to change their scheme and mold it around his versatility. The Charges played a large portion of that season in nickel and dime packages (extra defensive backs). They could only do this because Derwin James could be either a safety or a linebacker depending on what the opposition did. The fact that the Chargers could make these changes to their system on the field without it being obvious is massive. Think of it as the defensive version of Kyle Shanahan's offense, lots of different plays from the same look and personnel group. The Chargers made the playoffs, where they knocked out Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.
Tape
First things first, I wanted to mention it's not very easy for me to find and watch Lenoir-Rhyne games over in the U.K., so I haven't watched as much as I would have liked (I did find a couple of games, and he was invited to the Senior Bowl).
His outrageous athleticism looks frankly rediculous at times in Division II, so it's tough to glean too much from it. Dugger was used all over the defense and had a great nose for the ball, whether he's lined up has a safety, slot corner or linebacker. The height and length combo gives him a substantial tackle radius. He plays hard and fast, not afraid to go out there and hand out some woo-licks (Ronnie Lott's famous term for hits that made the whole crowd cringe and shout "woo"). He hit some of these poor D-II kids so hard he might have knocked the taste out of their mouth.
The Senior Bowl week is massive for prospects like Dugger, a whole week of practice, and an "All-Star" game with the best seniors in college football. One of the biggest weeks on an NFL scouts calendar, as it gives an excellent opportunity to see how the prospects stack up against their peers (in talent rather than division). A such even the practice reps throughout the week carry significance. Dugger crushed the Senior Bowl practices from everything I read from the Athletic and have seen in limited clips. My note pad for Senior Bowl standouts has his name all over it.
"During team drills, he lined up as the high defender on one play, in the slot the next and then near the line of scrimmage at an overhang position" - Dane Bugler the Athletic
He also had this impressive interception during the week of practice. It's tough to see from the angle. Although, you can see that he's able to stay within arm's length of the receiver following the break of the inside route. Once the receiver turns to look for the ball, so does Dugger, using a secondary burst to undercut the route.
I recently rewatched the Senior Bowl game. Dugger was one of the players that stood out on the film, proving the athleticism was more than enough to hang outside D II. He continued to be used in a variety of positions, and roles on the field, including some impressive reps in man coverage against tight end Adam Trautman (no slouch top 3 TE in class). Early on in the second quarter, there was an interception by the CB (Kindle Vildor). I bring this up because it's worth point out that Dugger was waiting in great position waiting for the ball if Vildor had jumped up and made the play before the ball could get to Dugger. There was one play in RedZone that had a costly miscommunication between him and the CB. It appears that Dugger thought he and the CB would "pass" the receivers, and the CB thought they would stick. It resulted in both of them covering the same receiver leaving Dugger's man wide open for a TD.
Whether it's as miscommunication before the snap or he just gets beat by the pick play. It's the kind of thing that has to get cleaned up at the next level.
Special Teams is an area that Dugger will be able to have an instantaneous impact on any NFL team. Not only is he an exceptional kicker returner (College record holder - 926 yards, six TD as the return man, returned kicks in the Senior Bowl), but he's also a force to be reckoned with covering kicks as well.
Dugger is exactly the kind of prospect that I would be willing to take a swing on. It's hard to predict where someone like Dugger might fall in the draft. My theory would be that his grade would have a high variance from team to team. On the one hand, I could see teams being colder due to the D II and raw elements of his game. On the other, I could see teams falling head over heels with the athletic profile and positional versatility. Put me in with the head over heels crowd.
NFL Comp: Derwin James
Stats provided by:
Photo credit: Cover Photo via www.profootballnetwork.com
Comments