18 hours ago
Hard-hitting safety should be 49ers trade target to address major roster hole
The San Francisco 49ers have been dealing with injuries frequently through the first few weeks of training camp, including at safety, as Malik Mustapha is still recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered in 2024 and Jason Pinnock has been battling a heel injury.
San Francisco has been lucky that fifth-round pick Marques Sigle has performed well on the practice field and in the preseason, giving them a rookie who could take over as a starter in Week 1.
With Mustapha likely missing a chunk of the upcoming season, the 49ers may be looking to add another veteran to the room. If they are, they should give the New England Patriots a call about veteran safety Kyle Dugger.
Dugger, 29, played collegiately at DII Lenoir-Rhyne from 2014-19, where he earned the Cliff Harris Award (recognizing the best defensive player in small college football) in his final season before the Patriots took him in the second round (No. 37 overall) of the 2020 NFL draft.
Dugger played a significant role as a rookie and was a full-time starter by his second year in the league. In five seasons in New England, he's appeared in 74 games and recorded 424 tackles (25 for a loss), 24 passes defensed, 10 quarterback hits, nine interceptions, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered.
With Bill Belichick and Jerod Mayo out in New England, the Patriots new regime doesn't seem too high on Dugger, forcing the safety to practice with the backups and roster hopefuls and play late in their preseason games. According to the Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan, Dugger is on the Patriots' trade block, so if the 49ers were interested, they could probably bring him in for a mid-round pick.
Dugger is hard-hitting safety, who's more like a hybrid linebacker. He's been asked to played a different role recently, and it hasn't suited him well. San Francisco could have him start until Mustapha's healthy, and then have them both as part of a strong rotation at the position.
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