The New England Patriots haven’t had the start to their 2024 season that they would’ve liked, dropping two of their first three games under head coach Jerod Mayo.
However, there have been a few players who have stood out positively more than others, including safety Kyle Dugger.
Dugger has recorded 18 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one pass defensed through the first three weeks.
After New England’s Week 3 loss to the New York Jets, Pro Football Focus gave Dugger a 72.7% lockdown percentage on the season, which ranks him second in the NFL among all defensive backs.
According to PFF, lockdown percentage focuses on how well defenders prevent receivers from getting open and “excludes plays where the defender intentionally gives up space to protect the first-down marker or limit yards after the catch.
While Dugger did take responsibility for the miscommunication in the secondary in Week 2 that allowed Geno Smith and D.K. Metcalf to combine for a long touchdown, his mistakes have been few and far between.
The 28-year-old is a big part of New England’s future, and he’ll need to keep playing the way he has recently for the team to have any sort of success on the defensive side of the ball
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