The Patriots have moved swiftly to replace safety Kyle Dugger on their 53-man roster after trading away the veteran safety to the Steelers.
The Patriots plan to sign rookie safety John Saunders Jr. off of the Dolphins’ practice squad, a source confirms. ESPN’s Mike Reiss was first to report the move.
Saunders, who’s 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, played free safety, strong safety and in the slot during two seasons at Ole Miss. Saunders transferred to Ole Miss from Miami (OH), where he played cornerback.
The rookie joins Jaylinn Hawkins, Craig Woodson, Dell Pettus and Brenden Schooler at safety on the Patriots’ 53-man roster. The team also has veteran safety Richie Grant on the practice squad.
Saunders ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash at his pro day in March with a 6.81-second 3-cone drill, 4.32-second short shuttle, 37-inch vertical leap, 10-feet, 6-inch broad jump and 14 bench press reps of 225 pounds.
He was a playmaker during his senior season in college, intercepting three passes and forcing four fumbles. He also registered 47 tackles with 1.5 tackles for loss and five pass breakups. He intercepted 11 passes with one touchdown during his college career and added 25 pass breakups.
The Patriots still have one open spot on their 53-man roster after also trading defensive end Keion White to the 49ers. It would not be surprising if they saved it for running back Terrell Jennings, who is out of practice squad elevations.
