Kyle Dugger climbed from Division II obscurity at Lenoir-Rhyne to a second-round pick and a six-year run as a Patriots captain.
Kyle Dugger's path from a small-college safety to an NFL second-rounder remains one of the more unusual draft stories of his class. After becoming a captain and defensive anchor in New England, he changed teams during the 2025 season and now brings that veteran presence to Cincinnati.
Path to the league
Dugger starred at Lenoir-Rhyne, a Division II program, totaling 237 tackles, 10 interceptions and 36 passes defensed over his college career. Despite playing just seven games as a senior in 2019 due to injury, he won the Cliff Harris Award as the top defensive player in Division II. New England drafted him in the second round (37th overall) in 2020, a rare high pick for a small-school prospect.
Career highlights
Dugger spent more than five seasons with the Patriots, developing into a team captain and one of the more versatile defensive backs in the league, capable of playing deep safety or working closer to the line. He was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2025 season. He signed with Cincinnati as a free agent in the 2026 offseason.
2025 season recap
Dugger split the 2025 season between New England and Pittsburgh, appearing in 16 games and recording 59 tackles, a sack and two interceptions. The midseason trade marked the first time in his career he left the organization that drafted him.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Kyle Dugger
- ESPN: Kyle Dugger player page
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
7 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | patriots | 7 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | steelers | 9 | 42 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2025 | 2025 Totals | 16 | 59 | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2024 | patriots | 13 | 81 | 55 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 2023 | patriots | 17 | 109 | 71 | 1.5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 2022 | patriots | 15 | 78 | 50 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 2021 | patriots | 15 | 92 | 70 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 2020 | patriots | 14 | 64 | 43 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Safety
- Group
- defense
- College
- Lenoir Rhyne
- Hometown
- Decatur, GA, USA
- Age
- 30
- Status
- active
