Pretty much every facet of the Patriots offense struggled over the course of the 2019 campaign, but there was one position group that particularly brought little to the table.
New England, of course, never was going to be able to completely replace Rob Gronkowski, but the production from tight ends this past season was even worse than expected. The trio of Ben Watson, Matt LaCosse and Ryan Izzo only combined for 36 catches for 418 yards with two touchdowns over 27 regular-season games.
The void at tight end lingers as free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft loom, and addressing this pressing need likely would help convince Tom Brady to stick around. As such, ESPN’s offseason prediction for the Patriots is for the franchise to be aggressive in their pursuit of tight end help.
“Whether it’s making a run at one of the top free agents (such as Hunter Henry or Austin Hooper) or devoting notable resources in the draft, the Patriots will make a hard push at the position similar to in 2010, when they drafted Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez and transformed their offense,” Mike Reiss wrote. “While some analysts say this year’s draft isn’t strong at tight end, seeing the success of George Kittle (49ers, fifth round) and Travis Kelce (Chiefs, third round) serves up a reminder that there are always hidden gems to be found.”
There’s a chance the Patriots might not wait and hope to land a hidden gem at tight end in the later rounds. At least one mock draft projects New England to use the 23rd overall pick on the position.
