We’re still 2 1/2 months away from the 2021 NFL Draft, but the New England Patriots already are hard at work evaluating prospects.
The Patriots recently held a virtual meeting with Ole Miss tight end Kenny Yeboah, according to a report Sunday from Justin Melo of The Draft Network.
A grad transfer from Temple, Yeboah put up strong receiving numbers in Lane Kiffin’s Rebels offense this past season, catching 27 passes for 524 yards and six touchdowns in seven games before opting out of the final two to prepare for the draft.
Yeboah’s 19.4 yards-per-catch average ranked third among all FBS tight ends, and his best performance came against eventual national champion Alabama — seven catches, 181 yards and two scores in a 63-48 shootout.
Patriots scouts got a close look at Yeboah at the 2021 Senior Bowl, where he measured in at 6-foot-4, 247 pounds. That’s on the lighter side for New England, which typically targets tight ends who weigh in the mid-to-high 250s.
Two other marks against Yeboah: There are concerns about the former high school wide receiver’s blocking ability, and he dropped a whopping 14.9 percent of his catchable targets in college (13 of 87), per Pro Football Focus. He projects as a Day 3 prospect at this point.
After largely ignoring the position in the draft for the previous decade, the Patriots traded up to select two tight ends (Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene) in the third round last year. The rookie duo combined for just five catches for 55 yards and one touchdown in 2020, with both spending time on injured reserve.
Tight end is a major offseason need for New England. The Patriots have ranked dead last in the NFL in receptions by tight ends in each of the two seasons since Rob Gronkowski’s departure.
