Tight End
Jeff Dugan
College: Maryland
Year: Senior
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 260
Birthday: April 8, 1981
Strengths: Jeff Dugan has earned a reputation as one of the most tenacious blocking tight ends in the country. Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen calls him a “dominant blocker” and cites Dugan as a key to the Terrapins producing a 1,000-yard rusher in each of the last two seasons.
A high school offensive tackle, Dugan proudly says that he still has a lineman’s mentality and that he gets more satisfaction from throwing a key block than catching a pass. Dugan is a stoic, blue collar worker, but he also is not afraid to get in a teammate’s face if he thinks the other player is not pulling his weight.
Dugan wasn’t always just a blocker. As a redshirt freshman in 2000, he made 25 catches, the second most on the team. While he didn’t look like the next Tony Gonzalez, he showed that he has better hands than one might expect from a former tackle. Friedgen took over after that season and the tight ends have not been heavily involved in the passing game since. Dugan has been working to become faster and more agile.
Areas of Concern: Dugan lacks speed and quickness; he has not seen many passes come his way because he has not been able to consistently get open. Dugan is not the most fluid route-runner and has a hard time shaking free of coverage. He reportedly has shown recent improvement in this area, but it remains to be seen if he can earn the opportunity to be more than the last option on most pass plays.
How Would He Look in Steel Blue? Dugan would be a role player with the Texans; he would most likely come out in passing situations in favor of a better receiver. However, this team needs help run blocking and employing what would basically amount to a sixth offensive lineman might be what it takes. The chances appear slim, though, of Charley Casserly drafting another tight end when he already has Billy Miller, Jabari Holloway, Rashod Kent, and Bennie Joppru on his roster.
(profile written by Warren DeLuca
)
Jeff Dugan’s 2002 Stats G CTH YDS AVG TD 14 9 91 10.1 1
Jeff Dugan 
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