The Patriots went out of their way in the 2020 NFL Draft to address what arguably was their most pressing need.
New England twice traded up in the third round to select tight ends. UCLA’s Devin Asiasi was the second tight end off the board when the Patriots selected him 91st overall, followed by Virginia Tech’s Dalton Keene, who was picked at No. 101 following an unprecedented deal by Bill Belichick.
In a recent column for The Athletic, Mike Sando shared thoughts from NFL executives and evaluators on each team’s draft. For the Patriots, one exec believes Belichick and Co. knocked it out of the park with the pick of Asiasi.
“Oh, I love him,” the exec told Sando. “I think they hit a grand slam, but he fell to them for a reason. He was suspended. The character is concerning. (Editor’s note: Asiasi was suspended for three games to start the 2018 season for a violation of team rules.) But he is better in and out of his breaks than (Cole) Kmet and a better blocker right now. He is a more vertical, wider-angle cut receiver.”
Given the current state of the Patriots’ tight end depth chart, it wouldn’t be terribly shocking to see Asiasi out there on New England’s opening drive come Week 1.
