Knowing that the Patriots would focus on the defense on Day 3 of the draft, it wasn't surprising to hear that their first pick was Cal State safety Craig Woodson. It was surprising, however, that he was their selection, given that he was projected to be taken in a much later round. His skill set and fit with the Patriots are obvious, bringing some sort of sense to the decision.
Even with that in mind, adding another safety to an already crowded room has many scratching their heads over the pick. Woodson is talented and is believed to be a day one starter, which is an excellent evaluation for a fourth-round pick. If that is accurate, there will be a lot of competition at safety this summer, and that seemingly puts a target on the back of one Patriots starter.
That was already the case after his poor 2024 season, even if he was dealing with an injury that mostly explained his massive decline in performance.
Woodson's pick highlights Kyle Dugger specifically and puts a lot of pressure on the 29-year-old to have a standout training camp and preseason and ensure he remains on the team. It could also be the case for Jabrill Peppers, but Dugger's fall-off was perhaps one of the biggest takeaways from the defensive effort last year.
Kyle Dugger's job security gets put in the hot seat after the Patriots select Craig Woodson in Round 4
Because the defense was the focus of the Patriots' free agency, the safety room is uniquely crowded, and another potential starter has just been added to it.
Woodson's arrival provides more competition at the position, which works against Dugger specifically after a rough 2024 that made him the subject of trade talks before the deadline.
The Patriots will eventually have some difficult decisions to make at safety.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) April 26, 2025
Kyle Dugger
Jabrill Peppers
Marcus Epps
Marte Mapu
Jaylinn Hawkins
Dell Pettus
Brenden Schooler
Mark Perry
Now Craig Woodson
Obviously, it's difficult to predict how the rest of the offseason will go and if Woodson will prove analysts correct about being an immediate starter. There's also a chance that Dugger will have healed from his injury and revert to his former productive self, securing a spot on the 2025 roster much easier than some anticipate.
That will need to be the case for the veteran, especially since the new regime has no qualms about moving on from longtime starters, as they have already shown by releasing David Andrews, Ja'Whaun Bentley, and Jonathan Jones. Dugger could be the next one with that fate unless he demonstrates the qualities that got him drafted in the first place.
It will inevitably be another hot storyline to watch over the next few months.