After years of being led by the formidable pairing of Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung, the New England Patriots’ safety position has entered a phase of transition. Chung announced his retirement earlier this offseason; McCourty will turn 34 in August and is heading into the final year of his contract; Adrian Phillips was added last offseason but is also scheduled to become a free agent next spring; Kyle Dugger was drafted in the second round in 2020.
Before this year’s draft, Dugger was the only viable long-term option on the roster. New England did add another player to the mix who might be in the running for a spot on the safety depth chart, though: the Patriots selected Missouri’s Joshuah Bledsoe in the sixth round.