After trading out of the first round Thursday night, the Patriots made their first pick of the 2020 NFL Draft shortly after 7:30 p.m. Friday. They used the 37th overall pick on Kyle Dugger, a safety from Division 2 Lenoir-Rhyne.
It didn’t take long for the frustration and gallows humor to flow from Patriots fans.
“Lenoir-Rhyne? Did they order off the wine list by mistake?” one fan asked on Twitter.
“If Nick [Caserio] and Bill [Belichick] sat in a room and said, ‘How can we really [upset] our fan base? What would anger them the most?’ I’m not sure they could have made a more perfect decision,” one diehard Pats fan texted me.
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Their disappointment is understandable. Belichick and Caserio stuck to the same old script to start this draft, even with Tom Brady gone and a new era coming to Foxborough.
Instead of exciting Patriots fans with a new player in the first round, the Patriots traded down for more picks. Then, at No. 37, they drafted a defensive back from a Hickory, N.C., school no one has heard of — even though their track record of second-round DBs is dreadful.
Since 2009, the Patriots have used nine second-round picks on defensive backs. Make sure you cover your eyes or finish your drink before reading this list:
At safety the Patriots have drafted: Patrick Chung (2009), Tavon Wilson (2012), Jordan Richards (2015), and Dugger.
At cornerback, they have drafted: Darius Butler (2009), Ras-I Dowling (2011), Cyrus Jones (2016), Duke Dawson (2018), and Joejuan Williams (2019).
That’s one successful player (Chung), two unproven kids (Williams and Dugger), and a whole bunch of busts.
But Belichick and Caserio won’t be deterred. They like using the second round on defensive backs who can play special teams, and they’ll keep trying until they find one.
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Of course, it’s not fair to compare Dugger with any of the other players. Despite his small-school pedigree, Dugger is a legitimate prospect. Initially a zero-star prospect out of high school, Dugger was the Division 2 defensive player of the year for 2019 despite missing seven of 14 games with a hand injury.
Dugger was invited to the Senior Bowl in January, where he more than held his own against the large-school prospects. Dane Brugler, draft analyst for The Athletic, had Dugger ranked as his third-best safety in this draft.
And Dugger does fit a need for the Patriots. He is listed at 6 feet 1 inch and 217 pounds, and projects as a run-stopping strong safety or a lighter weakside linebacker. Dugger has the physicality to play near the line of scrimmage and the skills to play man-to-man coverage against tight ends. He sounds like an exact replacement for Chung, who turns 33 in August and may only have one year left (or less).
Dugger also was a dynamic punt returner in college, returning six for touchdowns.
Of course, Richards and Wilson sounded like elite prospects who would play a big role on the defense, too, and they ultimately became nothing more than special-teamers. The jump from Division 2 to the NFL will be massive for Dugger, who may not get the benefit of an offseason program or a full training camp because of the pandemic.
He also has worn off a little tread, too – Dugger, 24, is nearly two years older than last year’s first-round pick, N’Keal Harry. Dugger was a six-year college player, having redshirted in 2014 and then earning a medical redshirt in 2016 after tearing his meniscus.
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And while Dugger fills a need, he doesn’t fill the Patriots’ most pressing needs, unless they plan on releasing Chung this offseason and saving a few million in cap space. The Patriots could have taken a tight end at No. 37, or a wide receiver, or a linebacker, or, gasp, a quarterback. All four positions have far less depth than the Patriots have at safety, with Chung, Devin McCourty, Terrence Brooks, and Adrian Phillips already in the fold.
Dugger might end up being a great addition to the Patriots’ defense. Or he may end up being known as the kid that was drafted off the wine list.
Based on the Patriots’ history with second-round defensive backs, it’s hard to fault Patriots fans for being frustrated with the pick.
Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @BenVolin
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It’s easy to pick out problems with the Patriots’ drafting Kyle Dugger in the second round - The Boston Globe
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