Bill Belichick likes what he saw from his team’s pick-up in the 2020 draft.
The head coach of the New England Patriots congratulated Kyle Dugger in his Monday morning video conference, saying that rookie protection proved to be a quick test when he moved from Lenoir-Rhyne Division II to the NFL.
“Kyle is a smart kid and works very hard,” Belichick said. “You need a smart workout, and in fact you can see an improvement, I would say not only day by day, but also in some cases of the game within the game. I think he has a smart understanding of football and is a pretty instinctive player, so when you tell him something, he understands what you’re talking about, especially if he’s had the slightest chance of reveling in that before.
“There are things you just haven’t noticed that can take you a little longer, just because you don’t know them. But it’s very easy to train, take things temporarily and things you hadn’t noticed before, once you see them and you can sense what the crash is or what the scenario we face is, you’ve been very smart in doing so. and manipulate it next time
Dugger was one of the first to excel at his first Patriots educational camp, showing off his athletics, versatility and ability to play. The second-round pick appears to be ready to compete with veterans Adrian Phillips and Terrence Brooks for the safe starting spot that became vacant after Patrick Chung’s retirement. The Patriots also traded for third place Duron Harmon this off-season, creating more opportunities for game time.
However, an injury has hampered Dugger lately. The 24-year-old has been limited in the Patriots’ last 3 practices, adding Monday’s.
With a truncated education camp schedule and no pre-season games, reps lost Dugger’s valuable preparation time. The Patriots are less than three weeks away from their first regular-season game (september 3. opposes the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium).
“The wheel doesn’t spin as fast as it will,” Belichick said. “It’s going to get much faster here in the days and weeks that followed as our volume increases, as the volume of offensive games and education and non-public clashes increases, etc. Then you upload all the scenarios that become, to some extent, primordial – such as the specific scenario for the end of the game and the end of the half-game type or safe distances that replace the stage.
“So let’s see how it fits everything, but I’d say right now, he and all the other recruits are making smart progress. They’re making steady gains, but it’s going to be more complicated than it is now and it’s going to be a lot more complicated. So let’s see how it goes as it increases the degree of deception.”