Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers have the potential to be two strong anchors of the Patriots' secondary this season. Thanks to a rebuilt defense that should have a better pass rush and a strong cornerback duo in Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis, there won't be as much pressure on the guys at the back of the secondary.
That being said, inconsistency has plagued both Dugger and Peppers the last couple of seasons, and Peppers even had to deal with some off-the-field issues that cost him his captain role last year.
When it came to ranking the NFL's top 10 safeties heading into the 2025 season, neither Dugger nor Peppers were placed on Bleacher Report's list. While some may label that as disrespectful, it goes to show that Dugger and Peppers have to earn their way into the category of guys like Kyle Hamilton and Brian Branch.
Can they do that this season? Absolutely.
Patriots' safety duo has the potential to be lethal this upcoming season
Believe it or not, a championship defense will be a vital part of Drake Maye's development as New England's quarterback. That puts less pressure on a quarterback to be perfect all the time, especially given the Patriots don't yet have an offense built to win 41-38 track meet type of games.
That's where players like Dugger and Peppers have to be strong on the back end. When Dugger was drafted, he was viewed as a hybrid safety type who could play a significant role in run support. His 2024 season was challenging, marked by a lack of interceptions and only 81 tackles. Dugger's best season came back in 2021, the last time the Patriots made the postseason.
Thanks to the presence of Davis and Gonzalez, both Dugger and Peppers can afford to play a little more aggressively this season. The Patriots haven't had two lockdown-type cornerbacks in quite some time, and that takes a little bit of pressure off the safeties, and Mike Vrabel's coaching will be an X-factor. Between his time with the Patriots and the Giants, Peppers hasn't played on many winning teams, so maybe he's due for a postseason run.
Can Dugger or Peppers - or both - earn their way towards Top 10 categories this season? It's not impossible.