Let’s assess what adding Saunders Jr. will mean for the team.

The Patriots trading Kyle Dugger and a seventh-round draft pick to the Steelers for a 2026 sixth-round selection did slightly increase the team’s draft portfolio, but it created some additional questions at the safety position. While he had lost his starting spot, Dugger was still the team’s No. 3 safety and played a combined 100% of snaps as an injury replacement for Jaylinn Hawkins in Weeks 6 and 7.

It would be a stretch to expect Saunders Jr. — an undrafted rookie just now entering the system — to replace the veteran and former team captain 1-for-1. However, his addition once made official will give New England some increased depth behind Hawkins and fellow starter Craig Woodson:

At the moment, sophomore Dell Pettus projects to take over the third safety spot previously occupied by Dugger. Behind him, Brenden Schooler, Saunders Jr. and practice squad member Richie Grant provide extra bodies.

In addition to those six, New England could also opt to give third-year man Marte Mapu some increased box safety reps again. A hybrid, Mapu was officially moved to linebacker this season but has not yet carved out a consistent role at his new spot.

One of the reasons why Dugger was not considered a particular fit for the Patriots’ new defensive scheme under head coach Mike Vrabel and the defensive staff led by Terrell Williams and Zak Kuhr was his relative one-dimensionality. Even though he had been a multi-purpose safety earlier in his career, Dugger morphed into more of a box defender as time went along.

While not a perfect comparison, Saunders Jr. does bring a more optimistic outlook to the table as far as his positional flexibility is concerned. During his college career at Miami (OH) and especially Ole Miss, he showed that he can move between spots in the defensive backfield without much limitation — a level of versatility that likely was appealing to New England’s decision makers even before this week: the team had him in town for a pre-draft visit during the spring.

Saunders Jr’s ability to move between assignments is supported by his athletic makeup. Even though he does not offer high-end speed, the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder has a well-rounded skillset that should allow him to be employed in a variety of ways.

When asked about Kyle Dugger earlier this season, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel expressed a desire for him to increase his ball production. While he had shown the ability to be around the football and make plays earlier in his career, Dugger last takeaway happened almost two full calendar years ago.

Obviously, his track record in that area beats Saunders Jr’s, but the youngster has shown the ability to generate turnovers himself. He intercepted 11 passes during his college career and forced four fumbles.

Once in the NFL, he also showed his knack for the football: in his third preseason game against Jacksonville, Saunders Jr. registered an interception.

While preseason production does not necessarily correlate to regular season success, there is no denying that Saunders Jr. has shown the ability to be around the football. That might in itself not be a quantifiable skill, but it is one that still has value in the league and has helped under-the-radar players like him to develop into valuable contributors.

Once joining the Patriots, Saunders Jr. will receive a deal that aligns with his status as a 2025 rookie free agent. This means that the pact will come with non-guaranteed base salaries of $840,000 (2025), $1.005 million (2026) and $1.12 million (2027) over the next three seasons that will simultaneously also serve as his salary cap figures.

When it comes to the current season, not the entire $840,000 will transfer from Miami to New England. With the first eight weeks already in the books, only the remaining salary figure totaling $466,667 will be added to the Patriots’ pay roll.

While we do not know what Saunders Jr’s role and long-term outlook will look like, we know that he will count against the Patriots’ 53-man roster limit for at least the next three weeks. Under NFL rules, players signed off another team’s practice squad are protected for that period of time.

Removing Dugger and White from the equation opened up two spots on the Patriots’ roster, and naturally fueled speculation about potential follow-up trades. However, it appears as if they might fill the 52nd and 53rd spots differently: one will go to Saunders Jr, with the other apparently set to go to running back Terrell Jennings.

Currently on New England’s practice squad, Jennings had been moved up to the game day roster for all three contests since fellow RB Antonio Gibson went down with a season-ending ACL tear in Week 5. Now out of standard elevations, the second-year back seems primed for promotion — something Mike Vrabel alluded to earlier this week.

“I think we all want Terrell here. So, however we have to handle that — I mean, the only other option is just to bring him up,” Vrabel said on Monday. “He’s been a good addition, he’s been prepared for his opportunities, helped on special teams. He had a tackle [Sunday] on kickoff. So, those are all really good things. I think he’s a good teammate, and so I think that that’s only probably procedural at the end of the week.”