Kyle Dugger was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the 37th overall pick.
Dugger is in his sixth season with the Patriots, and has appeared in 81 games, starting 69. He has 412 total tackles, 278 of them solo stops, 25 tackles for a loss, 24 passes defensed, nine interceptions, with two of them returned for a touchdown, three and a half sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries, including one returned for a touchdown.
In 2025, Dugger appeared in seven games for the Patriots, starting four. He has 14 tackles, five of them solo stops, and three special teams tackles.
Dugger started 13 games in 2024 while serving as a team captain for the Patriots for the first time in his career. He finished the season with 79 tackles, 54 of them solo stops, four passes defensed, one sack, a forced fumble and two special teams tackles.
In 2023, Dugger started all 17 games for New England. He finished the season with 107 tackles, 70 of them solo stops, six tackles for a loss, seven passes defensed, one and a half sacks, one forced fumble and two special teams tackles. He had a career-high 15 tackles against the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 1, the highest tackle output by a Patriots player since linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley had 17 tackles on Jan. 9, 2022 at Miami.
Dugger started all 15 games he played in during the 2022 season. He finished the year with 69 tackles, including 46 solo stops, He had interceptions, including two he returned for a touchdown, and a fumble recovery he returned for a touchdown. He became the first Patriots' player since 1970 with three defensive touchdowns in a single season. He had a 59-yard fumble recovery vs. the Lions (10/9), a 16-yard interception return for a touchdown at the Raiders (12/18) and a 39-yard interception return for a touchdown vs. Miami (1/1), a game which he earned AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
In 2021, Dugger appeared in 15 games, starting 13, and finished with 84 tackles, four interceptions, five passes defensed, one fumble recovery and eight special teams tackles. He started nine games in the nickel defense and four games at safety.
In his rookie season, he started seven of 14 games. He finished the season with 59 tackles, one pass defensed and five special teams tackles.
He played college football at Lenior-Rhyne where he recorded 237 tackles, 10 interceptions, 36 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries. He also returned 67 punts for a school-record 929 yards and six touchdowns. He won the Cliff Harris Award his senior season, given to the best defensive player in NCAA Division II, despite playing in just seven games.
