We’ve long said there’s no replacing Rob Gronkowski. He’s a unique player, one of the best to ever play at his position. But the New England Patriots didn’t even seem to try in 2019, with one of the most unimpressive tight end groups in the NFL. It’s beginning to look like a different story in 2020.
New England spent two third-round draft choices on tight end. With 91st overall, the Patriots picked UCLA tight end Devin Asiasi, and with the No. 101, New England nabbed Virginia Tech tight end Dalton Keene.
Keene was asked how familiar he is with Gronk’s game.
“He was definitely fun to watch and I believe he’s probably the best there is. It was really cool to watch him and it’s kind of crazy that now I’m kind of playing for the same team that he once was on. Because I was a little kid and watching him on TV – it’s just crazy that I’m in his shoes right now. I’m privileged,” Keene said this weekend on a conference call with reporters.
The task of replacing Gronk could be daunting. But apparently, for Keene, it’s a privilege. There’s no doubt Gronk’s shoes are big ones to fill. At risk of being too literal, Gronk is 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds. Asaisi is 6-foot-3 and 257 pounds while Keene is 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds. It’s a reminder of Gronk’s mind-bending size and speed combination.
When both prospects were asked if they’d modeled their game after a pro player while growing up, neither player picked Gronk. In fact, both players picked quarterbacks. That’s the position they’d played in high school. For Asiasi, he was a huge fan of Michael Vick. For Keene, he picked a major New England rival.
“I was a huge Peyton Manning fan actually. I had a Peyton Manning Fathead on my wall from when he was with the Colts. He’s probably my No. 1,” the Virginia Tech product said.
Once they began to play tight end, they both began to study the same player closely: San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle. At 6-foot-4, 250 pounds, Kittle was pegged as undersized for the NFL. But he plays with all the ferocity and physicality of an oversized tight end.
“I think he’s a super versatile tight end and they do a lot of different things there,” Keene said. “That’s what I pride myself on doing, being a versatile tight end and being able to do a lot of different things – playing from the slot, or playing fullback or to play traditional tight end.”
Keene was particularly versatile in college, playing fullback, H-back and tight end. Asiasi spent almost all of his time at tight end, where he lined up in-line or in the slot and thrived attacking the middle of the field in the passing game. Keene is probably the better athlete (at least from a testing standpoint), but didn’t manage as much production in Virginia Tech’s lackluster offense. Asiasi, however, was a key cog in UCLA’s offense with 44 catches, 641 yards and touchdowns.
“It’s guys like George Kittle, obviously Gronk [Rob Gronkowski], who is one of the best tight ends to ever play the game – all those guys you just look up to and kind of want to take little different pieces to add to your game,” Asiasi said on Saturday during a conference call. “But at the end of the day, it’s your game. You’ve got to make it unique in your own way.”
That’s the truth of the matter. Neither of these players will immediately replace Gronk. But the Asiasi and Keene can contribute to New England’s offense in a meaningful way in 2020, probably with both players on the field at the same time. Finally, New England seems to be piecing together a plan for the tight end position in a post-Gronk era.
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