Small School Prospect Impresses At Combine, Could Be Great Option For Browns

The Cleveland Browns have a question at safety and the NFL Combine might have provided an answer.

From the D-II Lenoir Rhyne in North Carolina, safety Kyle Dugger impressed scouts at the NFL Combine this past weekend.

The Browns want a physical and speedy safety and Dugger could be the answer.

D-II DB Kyle Dugger is jumping OUT OF THE COMBINE! @KingDugg_3
😳 Vertical jump: 42”
😳 Broad jump: 11’2”#NFLCombine pic.twitter.com/YET1Odn63r

— NFL (@NFL) March 1, 2020

Our interview with Kyle Dugger at the Senior Bowl

A Day 2 Diamond

Dugger is projected to fall in Day 2 of draft action and a potential replacement at safety.

The Browns might have a hole at the position if Damarious Randall leaves in free agency.

Dugger can play a linebacker/safety hybrid, which would help replenish the position if Randall leaves.

He was one of the best defensive men in the country after coming off a season that netted him Division II Defensive Player of the Year.

Jeremy Chinn (Southern Illinois) & Kyle Dugger (Lenoir-Rhyne) finished the night with the top Athleticism Scores among 2020 safeties based on their combine workout.

Chinn & Dugger are the only non-FBS safeties since 2003 to finish with a max 99 Athleticism Score. pic.twitter.com/LlHqiEK97R

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) March 2, 2020

The Stats

When measured at the NFL Combine, Dugger had the longest arms (32 7/8), biggest hands (10 3/8), and largest wingspan (78 1/2) of any defensive back.

We mentioned his vertical jump earlier, but his jump beat some of the top-rated prospects in the draft.

Top performers in the vertical jump among #NFLCombine defensive backs:

1) Kyle Dugger, @LRBearsFootball, 42 inches
T-2) Harrison Hand, @Temple_FB, 41
T-2) Jeff Okudah, @OhioStateFB, 41
T-2) Jeremy Chinn, @SIU_Football, 41
T-2) L’Jarius Sneed, @LATechFB, 41

— NFL Draft (@NFLDraft) March 1, 2020

Dugger is known as a hard-worker that has an underdog mentality.

When he completed his senior season in high school, he was 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds that did not have any Division I offers.

His career got off to a slow start at Lenoir-Rhyne.

He redshirted his freshman year, and also medical redshirted two years later.

All in all, Dugger spent six years in college and will be 24 come draft day.

S Kyle Dugger is about to become the first player from Lenoir-Rhyne in 20 years to be drafted to the NFL. How did he keep his dream alive with the odds stacked against him? pic.twitter.com/rARtn77Mcj

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) February 28, 2020

Room To Grow

According to Scott Patsko of cleveland.com, Dugger is aware that he needs to work on some things to be an NFL-caliber safety.

Dugger spent a lot of time at both safety positions in college.

If the Browns wanted to use him at linebacker, there would certainly be a learning curve.

When Patsko talked to Dugger at the combine, Dugger acknowledged other elements of his game that needs to improve.

“My eyes and my patience (can improve),” he said. “A lot of times I’ll get a little too fast in my drop when it’s not necessary. And I don’t really feel the routes as well as I can. So I feel like I need the patience to see the routes developing and be able to make a play.”

Using School To Succeed

While at school, Dugger finished with a degree in engineering and physics.

While at the combine, he discussed how this can help him on the field.

Very much on board the Kyle Dugger hype train. Here he is on how his engineering and physics background helps him on the field: pic.twitter.com/LooIOGDYAR

— Phil Orban (@philorbanWSOC9) February 28, 2020