Since getting picked by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 2018 draft, Duke Dawson hasn’t done a ton to turn heads.
The now-former Pats cornerback’s tenure in Foxboro came to an end Friday, as he and a seventh-round pick were traded to the Denver Broncos in exchange for a sixth-round pick. Dawson confirmed the news on Instagram.
Dawson spent half of his rookie season on injured reserve, then was a healthy scratch in each of the remaining games. He was outplayed in the preseason in a position group that already had good depth, and he most likely would have been cut if a trade hadn’t panned out. The timing of Dawson’s trade also made a little history for the Bill Belichick-era in New England.
So why were the Broncos willing to take a flyer on him? ESPN’s Mike Reiss explained.
“Depth in the secondary has been a concern throughout training camp in Denver. One of the Broncos’ starters, free-agent signee Bryce Callahan, has not played in the preseason while being given some days off in training camp. …
“The addition of Dawson also allows the Broncos to play Kareem Jackson at safety instead of corner, which is the team’s preference.”
Makes sense.
The Patriots traded up to take Dawson in the draft, so his ultimate draft position ended up being better than many expected. But he’s still a relative unknown in the NFL, so maybe with a bit more time to develop he will become a serviceable defensive back.
