As the New England Patriots manage injuries at the tight end position, this may be an opportunity for 2020 draft pick Devin Asiasi to shine.
A third round pick in last year’s draft, Asiasi saw limited action at the tight end position. He caught two passes for 39 yards and a touchdown, which came against the New York Jets in the team’s season finale.
As he heads into year two, Asiasi is noticing his confidence rise. In an interview with Patriots.com on Tuesday, he talked about several factors that are making his confidence grow. For one thing, the support of his teammates as well as tight ends coach Nick Caley has boosted his confidence.
“It definitely helps when you get your coaches behind you,” said Asiasi of Caley’s support. “They celebrate you on your wins and they help you out with your losses. Just gives you more confidence in what you’re doing. Fired up to see him get fired up and it gives me more confidence.”
In addition, he indicated that having a full training camp was important for him as well. After having in abnormal training camp last season, going through the full process this year has helped him.
“Just a little more confident in what I’m doing out there,” said Asiasi of his progress in Year Two. “We had an offseason, so we had OTAs and minicamp in the spring. Getting those extra reps, getting extra meeting time with the coaches plays a big part in just my confidence overall as well.”
It will be intriguing to see what his role is on Thursday night against the Eagles. With the tight end position needing a boost, he may have a chance for extended action.
