FOXBORO, Mass. — Kyle Dugger played only a supporting role Sunday in New England Patriots debut. But his teammates see star potential in the rookie safety.
Veteran Adrian Phillips said Monday that Dugger, New England’s top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft (37th overall), reminds him of his former Los Angeles Chargers teammate Derwin James.
James was a first-team All-Pro as a rookie in 2018 and is considered one of the NFL’s top safeties when healthy.
“The first thing that I noticed was he’s smart,” Phillips said of Dugger. “We didn’t get a chance to meet in person for a long time because we did everything virtually.