Admittedly, some eyebrows were raised when the New England Patriots drafted two tight ends with back-to-back picks. One of those picks that raised eyebrows was former Virginia Tech tight end Dalton Keene. However, Keene does fit into the future offense quite nicely for the New England Patriots.
Keene is not going to be a tight end that puts up 1,000-yard seasons every single year. He is going to be a player that gets into the dirty areas. In my estimation, Devin Asiasi is going to be the receiving tight end that the quarterback is going to look for on passing plays. Keene will be more of a blocking tight end on running plays.
If you take a look at the statistics he put up while he was at Virginia Tech, they are not eye-popping. His best season statistically came in 2018. As a sophomore, he recorded 28 catches for 341 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 12.2 yards per catch. For his Virginia Tech career, he recorded 59 receptions for 748 yards and eight touchdowns.
His versatility may be something that allows him to be a big part of the New England offense. He certainly showed that versatility with the Hokies. Last season, his best game rushing the football came against North Carolina on October 19. He ran the ball seven times for 25 yards. On the season, he only carried the football 11 times for 33 yards.
According to his Draft profile on NFL.com, one of his biggest strengths is having “versatility galore with tight end, fullback and H-back value.” With how the Patriots stocked up on the offensive line in last weekend’s draft, this only continues to fit the narrative that they may want to run the football more with a new quarterback under center.
Another part of his scouting report that, caught my eye was that he “adjusts in space as a lead blocker.” This will be an asset in a New England Patriots offense that relies heavily on the passing game. Again, it’s a situation where he is doing the dirty work and blocking instead of racking up yards receiving. However, that type of job seems specifically tailored to his game.
Dalton Keene fits into the Patriots offense by giving them a player that can play multiple positions and one who is not afraid to get to the dirty areas. That type of grittiness is a hallmark trait of a Bill Belichick player. He probably won’t put up impressive numbers every Sunday, but he may put up that key block that helps Sony Michel get into the end zone. Especially if the Patriots move towards a run-focused game plan for the future, Keene’s playstyle will pay dividends for New England immediately.
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