49ers select Jaden Dugger-LB-Louisiana Lafayette with pick 154 in the 2026 NFL Draft

Raw, high upside, versatile, great physical traits. I think he probably needs to stack on about 5 pounds and will need a year of seasoning at least in order to develop the coverage and pass rush skills they probably want him to obtain.

Read and react, tackling, those fundamentals are not an issue. It's his zone coverage that's the issue.

If you want him coming from the edge, pass rush needs work too but that's no surprise since it wasn't his main responsibility in college.

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Raw, high upside, versatile, great physical traits. I think he probably needs to stack on about 5 pounds and will need a year of seasoning at least in order to develop the coverage and pass rush skills they probably want him to obtain.

Read and react, tackling, those fundamentals are not an issue. It's his zone coverage that's the issue.

If you want him coming from the edge, pass rush needs work too but that's no surprise since it wasn't his main responsibility in college.

But but but ... his RAS score....

Originally posted by OnTheClock:
Raw, high upside, versatile, great physical traits. I think he probably needs to stack on about 5 pounds and will need a year of seasoning at least in order to develop the coverage and pass rush skills they probably want him to obtain.

Read and react, tackling, those fundamentals are not an issue. It's his zone coverage that's the issue.

If you want him coming from the edge, pass rush needs work too but that's no surprise since it wasn't his main responsibility in college.

He'll have some great mentors. We'll also get to see how well KJ Wright can develop a raw prospect that kind of fits his body/athletic profile.

I agree with you, that he's one of the 5 prospects I'm most interested in watching this preseason.

Originally posted by 49ers808:

Thanks for posting this. Some of those early sacks were kind of free runners but he was able to close the deal on them and bring down the QB, which you always like to see. It seems like he tracks the ball really well and doesn't give up on the pursuit, which is also encouraging. It would be nice if he can translate these clips into similar success in the NFL. Certainly someone to watch during pre-season.

Originally posted by 49ers808:

I'm trying to see some games. Even AJ Jenkins looked good in highlights.

Originally posted by tankle104:
Yeah but he actually played well. That team and scheme were a disaster. Lol

i love that all the youngsters got a year of experience under them. Factor in that they're in love with the game, I bet theyre spending a lot of honing their craft in their first off season. I think a lot of fans think players spend all off season grinding as much as they can and that's simply not true, unfortunately. They view it as a job and put in the work they think they have to. You hear it a lot in podcasts done by former or active players

Absolutely 💯%

But that true of any job or employee. Once an employee picks up the job skills, they tend to slack off and not to more than minimum to keep his job. Its the rare few that go above and beyond that are the true gems.

I think thats why ShanaLynch has dramatically (in my opinion) shifted to scouting a player's intangibles a lot more than before. If ShanaLynch (for example) scouts a player that has outstanding physical athleticism versus also looking at a guy with astounding intangibles (defined by them through their draft success and failures) but a tad less physically impressive - i feel they are going to take the 2nd player.

I think that can possibly explain the so called *reaches* that ShanaLynch have been doing a lot more recently.

Originally posted by Heroism:
I'm trying to see some games. Even AJ Jenkins looked good in highlights.

#3, MLB, Dugger - 9 tackles vs Rice



Heres some full game links

Dugger 16 tackles, 2 sacks vs ULM


Dugger 8 tackles vs Marshall


Dugger 11 tackles vs South Alabama

Originally posted by Giedi:
Absolutely 💯%

But that true of any job or employee. Once an employee picks up the job skills, they tend to slack off and not to more than minimum to keep his job. Its the rare few that go above and beyond that are the true gems.

I think thats why ShanaLynch has dramatically (in my opinion) shifted to scouting a player's intangibles a lot more than before. If ShanaLynch (for example) scouts a player that has outstanding physical athleticism versus also looking at a guy with astounding intangibles (defined by them through their draft success and failures) but a tad less physically impressive - i feel they are going to take the 2nd player.

I think that can possibly explain the so called *reaches* that ShanaLynch have been doing a lot more recently.

Sounding like the story of Brandon Aiyuk. Could ShanaLynch be influenced by BA in that regard? IDK

Originally posted by Heroism:

Originally posted by 49ers808:

I'm trying to see some games. Even AJ Jenkins looked good in highlights.

Yeah I know lol. You said you didn't see anything so I just thought that this was a good start.

Originally posted by 49ers808:
Yeah I know lol. You said you didn't see anything so I just thought that this was a good start.

all good, brudda. I appreciate you.

and right on to scooter for posting those. I'll definitely put those on my watchlist.

Originally posted by Heroism:

Originally posted by 49ers808:
Yeah I know lol. You said you didn't see anything so I just thought that this was a good start.

all good, brudda. I appreciate you.

and right on to scooter for posting those. I'll definitely put those on my watchlist.

You gonna be mad; going from watching your draft crush Carson Schwesinger last year to watching this guy

Honestly; he reminds me of that other LB we drafted with Winters; I think in the 7th round. Jalen Graham. I think he's still with our practice squad.

Originally posted by dj43:
Sounding like the story of Brandon Aiyuk. Could ShanaLynch be influenced by BA in that regard? IDK

The Aiyuk no-show gate has got to somehow affect their player evaluations, in my opinion. I think that was upwards of 30 million in cap hit that the 49ers can't get out of and have to spread out somehow. They have a choice to absorb that in one shot, but that's a TON of cap space wasted by this guy's insanity.

Originally posted by 9moon:

Originally posted by DRCHOWDER:

Jaden Dugger: "I think I have the most upside of any player in this draft. This is the worst I'm ever going to be and I'm still making plays compared to guys who are supposed to be the top players in this class. I'm only going to get better." Per @JustinM_NFL interview #49ers pic.twitter.com/1OXc9a65TA

— 49er_Edits (@49er_edits) April 28, 2026

J-Digg gonna win DROY !!!

Special Teams player of the year at best.