The 2020 Senior Bowl provided the New England Patriots with a valuable opportunity to scout several players they would end up selecting in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Patriots drafted four players who attended the Senior Bowl, including their first three picks.
--Kyle Dugger, Lenoir Rhyne, Round 2 (37th overall)
--Josh Uche, Michigan, Round 2 (60th overall)
--Anfernee Jennings, Alabama, Round 3 (87th overall)
--Justin Herron, Wake Forest, Round 6 (195th overall)
The most surprising pick of the Patriots' 2020 draft was Dugger, a four-year starter who excelled on defense as a safety and special teams as a punt returner. He was actually the only Division II player invited to the Senior Bowl in January, and he did well to impress scouts and other team personnel in the week leading up to the game.
What did the Patriots see from Dugger at the Senior Bowl?
"He held his own relative to the competition, which is something you want to see, especially with a player coming from a lower level of competition," Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio recently told Patriots.com's Megan O'Brien.
"There's not that many Division II players playing in the NFL. When you see a player go from Division II, his level of performance, to get into an environment like that where the competition is certainly better than what he faced, you like to see that they're actually able to hold their own and be competitive. So that was certainly something that worked in his favor."
How much did the Senior Bowl aid the team's preparation for the 2020 draft?
New England Patriots
"That's always a big part of the process, you get to see some of the better players," Caserio said. "Coincidence or not, but we drafted three, four or however many players that were in attendance at the Senior Bowl. Our coaching staff was a little bit more involved this year relative to years past. We tried to maximize our time and make the most of the opportunities that we had in front of us, and hopefully we were able to do that."
The Patriots made 10 picks in last weekend's draft, and they addressed several of their most glaring roster weaknesses, including tight end and linebacker. It remains to be seen how many snaps these rookies will see in 2020, but the Patriots did draft several players with the ability to play multiple positions, and we know head coach Bill Belichick places a premium on versatility.