Kyle Dugger

Cincinnati Bengals

Pos S

Updated October 8, 2026

Compare Kyle Dugger S rankings →

Model Score

82.6 MODEL

2020

70.4

2021

83.1

2022

78.5

2023

89.8

2024

73.4

2025

75.9

2026

82.6

How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →

STM Take

2023 tier 2 (#16) STTM peak as a Lenoir-Rhyne Division II 2nd-round pick puts Dugger in the rare outlier-positive Division II S class. The career STTM volatility confirms the structural ceiling is highly team-fit and scheme dependent. The 2026 question is whether Dugger returns to tier 4-5 territory with Pittsburgh or whether the structural mid-career instability closes the chapter.

Dugger came out of Lenoir-Rhyne (Division II) as the New England Patriots' 2nd-round pick (37th overall) in 2020. He delivered a tier 2 (#16) STTM peak in 2023 before signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025. His STTM career runs tier 3 (#20) in 2021, tier 7 (#49) in 2022, tier 2 (#16) peak in 2023, tier 8 (#75) in 2024, and tier 6 (#43) in 2025.

Strengths

2023 tier 2 (#16) STTM peak as a Lenoir-Rhyne Division II 2nd-round pick puts him in the rare outlier-positive Division II S class.
Six years of NFL development across two systems gives him real journeyman veteran market value.

Concerns

Career STTM volatility (tier 2 in 2023, tier 8 in 2024, tier 6 in 2025) confirms the ceiling is highly team-fit and scheme dependent.
Pittsburgh's broader defensive identity around T.J. Watt's primary pass-rush priority puts continued Dugger production partly dependent on team-fit.

What to watch: Whether Dugger returns to tier 4 (top 30) in 2026 with Pittsburgh, the threshold for confirming the 2023 ceiling can be recaptured.