The New England Patriots plan to sign safety John Saunders Jr. off the Miami Dolphins practice squad, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, to fill the void left at the position by their trade of Kyle Dugger.
Saunders, 24, is an undrafted rookie who signed with the Dolphins after the 2025 NFL draft following a collegiate career that ended with two seasons at Ole Miss.
In preseason, Saunders recorded an interception against the Jacksonville Jaguars that he returned 51 yards:
“I’ve just been trying to be patient, wait for my opportunity to come,” Saunders told reporters after that game. “They always tell us just control what we can control, so I can’t control when I’m out there, but, when I am, I’m just trying to make plays when they come to me.”
Saunders will get that opportunity in New England where he’ll join the Patriots’ active roster after Dugger was sent to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a trade Tuesday night.
The other four safeties on the Patriots’ roster are Jaylinn Hawkins, Craig Woodson, Dell Pettus, and Brenden Schooler.
This article originally appeared on Dolphins Wire: Patriots to poach safety off Dolphins practice squad to replace traded Kyle Dugger
Reporting by Adam Stites, Dolphins Wire / Dolphins Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
