Safety Kyle Drugger With Bills First Round Pick?

[Pbomb]

I think we need upgrades on both def & o lines and also wr. If we accomplish some of these in free agency I would be fine with getting him in the third, possibly the second. I don’t think the bills are gonna pay Poyer what he wants next year

[JerseyBills]

5 hours ago, mannc said:

No, I don’t.

Really? Am I wrong? (Asking seriously) I thought I remembered most of Twitter and TBD being very surprised. Mainly because we all viewed Shady as RB1 still and signing Gore/Yeldon. I thought ppl were a little upset

[Alphadawg7]

On 2/22/2020 at 4:32 AM, ChevyVanMiller said:

I haven’t seen his name addressed here but in a column at The Athletic, Matthew Fairburn suggests there his evidence that the Division II S might be the Bills’ guy. Here’s an excerpt:

 

“In my story on Lenoir Rhyne defensive back Kyle Dugger, I noted the Bills had shown strong interest in the Division II standout. They sent three high-ranking members of their scouting staff to Hickory, N.C. to see Dugger in person and by all accounts were there as often as any team in the league. That carries more weight when you consider Lenoir Rhyne isn’t a typical stop on the scouting trail for those making the rounds.”

 

“Does that mean the Bills will take Dugger at No. 22? Maybe. There are too many variables to ever pin down a team’s draft plans. Who else will be on the board? Will another team offer a strong enough package to convince the Bills to trade down? Will Dugger be worth that pick?”

 

He is said to be the prototypical Big Nickel DB that McDermott covets. He’s over 6 feet and is expected to run in the sub 4.4 range in the 40. Would this board lose it’s collective mind if the Bills went safety in Rd 1?

 

Ive learned to trust Beane and McD.  These guys have done quite well moving around the draft and picking the right players.  If we get to pick 22 and they feel he is the absolute best player on the board, then I won't freak out.  

 

Now do I think its going to be him?  No, I still think its a 2 position race between DE and WR with our first pick in round 1.  I could see a trade down if their top choices are off the board, especially with how deep WR is.  I could also see a small trade between say 15 and 21 if a guy they absolutely covet slips to that range.  

 

42 minutes ago, JerseyBills said:

Really? Am I wrong? (Asking seriously) I thought I remembered most of Twitter and TBD being very surprised. Mainly because we all viewed Shady as RB1 still and signing Gore/Yeldon. I thought ppl were a little upset

 

You're not wrong, lots of people on this board were trashing that pick left and right.  Same with the Knox pick.  It was funny watching all the outrage, especially since I thought both picks were fairly obvious based on the lead up to the draft.  Several of us called the Devin pick before it was in and same with Knox, neither was really a surprise if you followed who they showed strong interest in leading up to draft.  Yet a bunch of people acted like they were blind sided and both were terrible picks.

Edited February 23, 2020 by Alphadawg7

[mannc]

56 minutes ago, JerseyBills said:

Really? Am I wrong? (Asking seriously) I thought I remembered most of Twitter and TBD being very surprised. Mainly because we all viewed Shady as RB1 still and signing Gore/Yeldon. I thought ppl were a little upset

Yes, you’re wrong.  A few people were concerned about the 40 time, but no one thought it wasn’t a position of need, which it clearly was.

17 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

You're not wrong, lots of people on this board were trashing that pick left and right.  Same with the Knox pick.  It was funny watching all the outrage, especially since I thought both picks were fairly obvious based on the lead up to the draft.  Several of us called the Devin pick before it was in and same with Knox, neither was really a surprise if you followed who they showed strong interest in leading up to draft.  Yet a bunch of people acted like they were blind sided and both were terrible picks.

That’s just not true, especially WRT the Singletary pick.  Both were highly regarded prospects at positions of need, and neither was considered a reach.  I recall zero outrage here.  But feel free to prove otherwise by posting a link...

Edited February 23, 2020 by mannc

[noacls]

I'm still concerned about the 40 time. I dont think Singletary is anything more than a complimentary back. Back on topic it would not surprise me if they took Dugger or Delpit at pick 22. Hyde will turn 30 at end of 20 season. Poyer will be 29 at end of 20 season and he is going to want big money. Also he cant tackle

[Alphadawg7]

7 minutes ago, mannc said:

Yes, you’re wrong.  A few people were concerned about the 40 time, but no one thought it wasn’t a position of need, which it clearly was.

That’s just not true, especially WRT the Singletary pick.  Both were highly regarded prospects at positions of need, and neither was considered a reach.  I recall zero outrage here.  But feel free to prove otherwise by posting a link...

 

You weren't paying attention then.  Shoutbox was upset, plenty of people complained in threads.  People said he was too slow and too small over and over again.  There were WR's and other players people wanted there and were upset we didnt take them like Hakeem Butler.

 

If you want to prove the lack of outrage, go right ahead and go through the shout box archives and thread archives.  I personally do not care enough to waste time digging it up, but I know it happened.  

[mannc]

17 minutes ago, Alphadawg7 said:

 

You weren't paying attention then.  Shoutbox was upset, plenty of people complained in threads.  People said he was too slow and too small over and over again.  There were WR's and other players people wanted there and were upset we didnt take them like Hakeem Butler.

 

If you want to prove the lack of outrage, go right ahead and go through the shout box archives and thread archives.  I personally do not care enough to waste time digging it up, but I know it happened.  

Link?

[Alphadawg7]

1 minute ago, mannc said:

Link?

 

Nah, you get to pull your own links.  You care so much about it, do your own due diligence.  

[gobills404]

31 minutes ago, noacls said:

I'm still concerned about the 40 time. I dont think Singletary is anything more than a complimentary back. Back on topic it would not surprise me if they took Dugger or Delpit at pick 22. Hyde will turn 30 at end of 20 season. Poyer will be 29 at end of 20 season and he is going to want big money. Also he cant tackle

If you think poyer can't tackle then you're really not gonna like delpit.

[Success]

On 2/22/2020 at 9:09 AM, Penfield45 said:

I'll literally throw my tv out the window if we pick a safety with the first pick

 

we could have the best defense in the NFL for the next 10 years and it won't matter if our offense struggles to score more than 14 points a game 

Don’t forget FA.

 

I’ll always be a BPA guy when it comes to 1st round picks.  It’s the best way to go.

[Buffalo716]

1 hour ago, Success said:

Don’t forget FA.

 

I’ll always be a BPA guy when it comes to 1st round picks.  It’s the best way to go.

BPA is the most overhyped word around draft time. There is never a consensus between 32 teams

 

There is NO clear cut best player available to all 32 teams

 

Every team has their own big board ranked by philosophy and scheme fit and talent

 

Some teams will have a guy top 30 on there board and other teams won't even have him because he isn't a scheme fit so he doenst even make the board

 

So BPA is not clear cut it's got a host of factors and every team will rank BPA differently ... The Bills BPA might not be yours and might not be the dolphins. They set their big board according to scheme and talent.. best player available is not a unanimous thing across teams , somebody the Bills love the Cardinals hate

Edited February 23, 2020 by Buffalo716

[Tortured Soul]

Whose snaps would he be taking? Hyde, Poyer, Milano, and Edmunds all played more than 90 percent of available snaps. He's not taking one of them off the field. He's also not replacing Taron Johnson in his slot role. Buscaglia mentioned that he would fill the big nickel currently played by Neal, but Neal only played 16 percent of the snaps.  Is he just getting ready for Poyer to leave next year? If so, I thought Jaquan Johnson looked promising for that role. 

 

I really don't understand this.

[ChevyVanMiller]

Athletic is now officially mocking him as the Bills pick at 22.

 

22. Buffalo Bills: Kyle Dugger, DB, Lenoir Rhyne 

With the top wide receivers, edge rushers and offensive tackles all off the board, the Bills become the first team to take a Division II player in the first round since 1999. Lenoir Rhyne’s Kyle Dugger is listed as a safety but that label doesn’t do him justice. He’s a moveable piece on defense capable of playing nickel cornerback and outside linebacker in the right scheme. Dugger could be for the Bills what Shaq Thompson was for the Panthers in Sean McDermott’s defense. The Bills were at Lenoir Rhyne this season more often than every team in the league, sending three different high-ranking members of their scouting staff to see Dugger. He’s everything they look for on and off the field. And if 22 seems too high for Dugger, wait until he blows up at the NFL Scouting Combine. He’s the real deal.

What the Bills would be getting with Dugger: Joel Taylor knows a thing about under-the-radar draft prospects. He was on the staff at South Carolina State when the Bulldogs had future NFL standouts Darius Leonard and Javon Hargrave, and he was at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne when the Bears’ big DB Kyle Dugger blew up in scouts’ eyes in the past two years.

Taylor said he’s never been around a guy who has Dugger’s combination of size, ability and football instincts. He says the 6-1, 220-pounder’s best attribute is his versatility and that he’s the rare athlete who can play nine spots on the defense, all except the interior defensive line positions.

“Whoever becomes his DC is going to have a lot of fun with him,” says Taylor, now the defensive coordinator at Mercer. “A guy like Dugger gives you the ability to be very creative with schemes and be multiple without changing packages.”

Tucker says Dugger isn’t quite as long — or as outspoken — as Leonard, the 2018 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he’s a better-skilled athlete in open space and more explosive. High praise indeed. —Bruce Feldman, National college football insider

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

On 2/23/2020 at 5:10 PM, Buffalo716 said:

BPA is the most overhyped word around draft time. There is never a consensus between 32 teams

 

There is NO clear cut best player available to all 32 teams

 

Every team has their own big board ranked by philosophy and scheme fit and talent

 

Some teams will have a guy top 30 on there board and other teams won't even have him because he isn't a scheme fit so he doenst even make the board

 

So BPA is not clear cut it's got a host of factors and every team will rank BPA differently ... The Bills BPA might not be yours and might not be the dolphins. They set their big board according to scheme and talent.. best player available is not a unanimous thing across teams , somebody the Bills love the Cardinals hate

 

BPA means... don't use the pick at 22 for a WR because of a perceived need at WR.  It means pick the player you believe is the best on your board.  

25 minutes ago, ChevyVanMiller said:

Athletic is now officially mocking him as the Bills pick at 22.

 

22. Buffalo Bills: Kyle Dugger, DB, Lenoir Rhyne 

With the top wide receivers, edge rushers and offensive tackles all off the board, the Bills become the first team to take a Division II player in the first round since 1999. Lenoir Rhyne’s Kyle Dugger is listed as a safety but that label doesn’t do him justice. He’s a moveable piece on defense capable of playing nickel cornerback and outside linebacker in the right scheme. Dugger could be for the Bills what Shaq Thompson was for the Panthers in Sean McDermott’s defense. The Bills were at Lenoir Rhyne this season more often than every team in the league, sending three different high-ranking members of their scouting staff to see Dugger. He’s everything they look for on and off the field. And if 22 seems too high for Dugger, wait until he blows up at the NFL Scouting Combine. He’s the real deal.

What the Bills would be getting with Dugger: Joel Taylor knows a thing about under-the-radar draft prospects. He was on the staff at South Carolina State when the Bulldogs had future NFL standouts Darius Leonard and Javon Hargrave, and he was at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne when the Bears’ big DB Kyle Dugger blew up in scouts’ eyes in the past two years.

Taylor said he’s never been around a guy who has Dugger’s combination of size, ability and football instincts. He says the 6-1, 220-pounder’s best attribute is his versatility and that he’s the rare athlete who can play nine spots on the defense, all except the interior defensive line positions.

“Whoever becomes his DC is going to have a lot of fun with him,” says Taylor, now the defensive coordinator at Mercer. “A guy like Dugger gives you the ability to be very creative with schemes and be multiple without changing packages.”

Tucker says Dugger isn’t quite as long — or as outspoken — as Leonard, the 2018 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he’s a better-skilled athlete in open space and more explosive. High praise indeed. —Bruce Feldman, National college football insider

 

If the guy can be a troy polamalu type of game changing defender who you have to gameplan for - i'm in.  

[Buffalo716]

8 minutes ago, dneveu said:

 

BPA means... don't use the pick at 22 for a WR because of a perceived need at WR.  It means pick the player you believe is the best on your board.  

 

If the guy can be a troy polamalu type of game changing defender who you have to gameplan for - i'm in.  

Obviously, you don't have to tell the guy who works in football still

 

People use the term like it's synonymous across 32 teams and everybody has the same BPA

 

The Bills can take a guy half here says sucks and they will scream we needed BPA!!! But the Bills will say that's our BPA

 

What they really are trying to say is don't overdraft based on need. Which is always smart

 

Dugger VERY well may be high on their board... And people will flip ***** if he's drafted because he isn't BPA to them, but to the Bills he is

 

 

Edited February 25, 2020 by Buffalo716

[njbuff]

Maybe I am being irrational, but I am not crazy about drafting 24 year old rookies in the early rounds of the draft unless it is somebody like Bo Jackson.

 

He was drafted 1st overall in 1986 and his birth year was 1962.

 

Otherwise, be leery of 24 year old rookies drafted in the early rounds.

[Orlando Buffalo]

I am a BPA person for this team but maybe not at safety since if all goes well he will never see the field. You can work in lineman, LBs, and CB but safety seems set.

[TigerJ]

Well, he is going to be a combine participant, so there is no keeping him a secret.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

14 hours ago, Buffalo Timmy said:

I am a BPA person for this team but maybe not at safety since if all goes well he will never see the field. You can work in lineman, LBs, and CB but safety seems set.

 

I wouldn't look at a player like this as a safety.  The idea is he's basically playing OLB, nickel corner, Safety... wherever he's needed on a given play.  Sort of how the chargers use derwin james.  

[DCOrange]

Been saying I think safety/linebacker could end up being the pick in the first round...Dugger makes sense to me. WR depth = we can wait on that. If the linemen we want are off the board, I would think a DB is next on the list and a safety in particular makes a lot of sense to me with Poyer & Hyde being up soon.