Patriots Earn Poor Grade From SI For Drafting Div. 2 Safety Kyle Dugger

New England selecting a Div. 2 safety with their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft did not receive positive grades from Sports Illustrated.

The New England Patriots didn't take one of the top linebackers, edge rushers, or tight ends prospects with their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, which was the 37th overall pick. Instead, they chose a Division II safety out of Lenoir-Rhyne. 

The Patriots selected Kyle Dugger with the pick they received from the Chargers for trading out of the first round. It was a bit of an odd decision, which is why Sports Illustrated did not give the six-time Super Bowl champions a strong grade for their first pick in the draft. 

Here is SI's grade and explanation for New England's early Day 2 selection:

Patriots Select: Lenoir-Rhyne safety Kyle Dugger 

Grade: C

This one is a bit of a head-scratcher for the simple reason that the Patriots entered this draft with four quality safeties already: the recently re-signed Devin McCourty, do-it-all box player Patrick Chung, grossly underrated ex-Charger Adrian Phillips and the lesser-known Terrance Brooks, who performed nicely as Chung’s backup last season. All four are under contract through 2021. But few teams have made better use of diverse secondary talent, which is precisely what Dugger brings. He doesn’t fill a need, but there is no question he fits the scheme.

Both McCourty and Chung are 32 years old, which means their days in the NFL are numbered. But for the Patriots to use a premium pick on a player that, at best, will have a limited role in 2020 doesn't make a ton of sense. 

Many expected New England to potentially draft an edge rusher like A.J. Epenesa or Yetur Gross-Matos, a tight end like Cole Kmet, or a safety like Grant Delpit with the No. 37 pick. Instead they went with Dugger, who - though he is an elite prospect - has a long way to go before he becomes a starter in the NFL.