In the third round of the 2020 draft, the Patriots continued to deal. This time New England dealt No. 100, No. 139, and No. 172 to the Las Vegas Raiders for No. 91 and No. 159. With the 91st pick, the Patriots finally addressed their biggest need and drafted tight end Devin Asiasi from UCLA.
After spending a year at Michigan, Asiasi transferred to UCLA to finish out his college career. He recorded 52 receptions for 789 yards and six touchdowns in three years of play.
The Patriots brought in Asiasi to help the next quarterback, whether it’s Jarrett Stidham or someone else. So, they will get familiar with the new tight end, and the fans should as well.
Here are some things to know about one of the newest members of the Patriots family.
Asiasi really only had one productive college season.
Of the 789 yards that Asiasi totaled in his college career, 641 of them came in his final season. It wasn’t until 2019 that the tight end saw legitimate opportunities on offense. This is evidenced by the difference in his reception totals in his first season (six) with UCLA and his final season (44).
Asiasi could be a versatile tight end in the NFL.
Not only has he shown the ability to bring in receptions from the tight end spot, but he’s also a solid blocker. In Bill Belichick’s system, if a player wants to see the field, they’re going to need to focus on blocking. It’s what made Julian Edelman so popular in his early seasons in New England. While Asiasi only did it for one year, with the right coaching, he can do the same things at the professional level.
Asiasi played both tight end and defensive line in high school.
As most high school players do, Asiasi split time at multiple positions. While it seems crazy that third-round pick at one position may have been expected to play another position, that was exactly the case with Asiasi. It was believed that he was going to play defensive line at the next level.
In 2016, Asiasi told Bleacher Report that people thought he was going to be a defensive end. However, he had different plans.
“In general, people think I’m going to be a D-end,” he said. “I want to play tight end. That’s where my heart’s at. I’m going to come out every day and prove myself that I can be a tight end at the next level. That’s where my mentality is every day.”
Asiasi is the first tight end the Patriots have drafted in a while.
Believe it or not, the Patriots haven’t selected a tight end in the draft since Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez were brought to New England in 2010. That’s a very large gap, but it was understandable because Gronkowski performed at such a high level. With Asiasi being the next guy, he will have some big shoes to fill. No one expects him to be Gronk, but he should at least a serviceable tight end in the NFL.
