After having arguably the league’s worst tight ends in 2019, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots did everything they could to address the position in the 2020 NFL Draft. During the waning moments of the third round, the team traded up on two occasions to select Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene. Even though these two technically play the same position, they possess completely different skillsets and should provide New England with plenty of offensive versatility.
How the New England Patriots Will Use Tight Ends Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene
Devin Asiasi
At 6’-3” and 257 pounds, Devin Asiasi has the body density of a defensive lineman and the muscle to push them around with ease. He’s not the best run-blocking tight end to ever grace the earth, but he’s easily capable of lining up in the trenches and opening running lanes. He has the potential to grow here too, as his technique can be a little sluggish. A great coach like Bill Belichick might be able to fix the flaws in his process and turn him into a Dwayne Allen type of road grader.
Blocking is nice, but this is a passing league at the end of the day. Fortunately for the Patriots, Asiasi has the tools to tear apart defenses. While he doesn’t have the speed of an early-career Rob Gronkowski, he’s fast enough to get open against linebackers. He’s hard to take down in the open field, as he routinely drags defenders for extra yardage after contact.
Chances are, the Patriots will use Asiasi as a poor mans’ Rob Gronkowski. He will obviously never have that type of an impact on the game, but he can line up in line, hold his own in the trenches, and is a menace in the seam. He averaged 15.2 yards-per-reception in college and could be the second option in the passing game by the midpoint of the season.
Dalton Keene
Dalton Keene is an interesting choice by the Patriots. Unlike Asiasi, it’s hard to imagine Keene ever serving as an in-line tight end on a full-time basis, but he can be used as something of a hybrid between Aaron Hernandez and James Develin. Hear me out:
Keene does not have the same superstar ceiling as Hernandez, but he does have the athletic ability to move all along the formation. He had a fantastic day at the NFL Combine, and the Virginia Tech product has a history of lining up in the backfield, as an in-line tight end, and a slot receiver. Even though he only received 71 targets in college, Bill Belichick probably believes he can find something in Keene that his college coaches couldn’t. After all, he can run like a running back and catch like a receiver while carrying the build of a tight end.
James Develin is a fantastic fullback, but he doesn’t bring much to the receiving game. The Patriots occasionally motion Develin along the formation, but the ball rarely comes his way. Theoretically, New England could do the same thing with Keene while giving him a larger role in the passing game. Chances are, the Patriots want him to be someone like San Francisco’s Kyle Juszczyk.
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