Devin Asiasi, TE, UCLA
Ask anyone who covers the NFL and/or the NFL draft about this tight end class, and their response might resemble something of quiet desperation. As they say, hanging on in quiet desperation is the tight end way. Or the English way, I forget. Anyway, where were we?
Right, the tight end class. It is not the best group of players, in contrast to last season when a pair of TEs were drafted in the first round. In fact, perhaps the top two at the position, Cole Kmet and Adam Trautman, are sleepers in their own ways. Kmet is a former left-handed relief pitcher for Notre Dame whose pitching days were cut short due to an elbow injury, raising some injury concerns about his time on the gridiron. Trautman, a former high school quarterback, went the FCS route and now has to battle the small school tag.
Beyond those two players, however, is a Pac-12 tight end who might be the potential dual purpose TE this draft needs. Asiasi originally committed to Michigan out of California powerhouse De La Salle High School, but after a season in the Big Ten he returned closer to home to play for the UCLA Bruins. Last year was something of a breakout season for him, as he caught 44 passes on 68 targets for 641 yards and four touchdowns.
In a draft class lacking true “do it all” tight ends, Asiasi is a rare bird. He has the ability to slot in next to the tackle and handle the blocking responsibilities asked of him, in both the run and the pass game, but also can detach from the line and be a threat as a receiver. In the passing game he shows the awareness to find open spaces in zone coverage, and his releases off the line of scrimmage are sudden and with purpose. He threatens the leverage of the nearest defender well, and when jammed off the line he barely loses a step.
With so many move-type TEs in this class, Asiasi could benefit from being one of the more traditional type players available to teams. He has the traits and experience to play more of an inline role, and there is something to work with when it comes to the receiving part of the position. Come the later rounds he might be one of the best options at the position, and someone that can contribute immediately as a rookie given his experience and all-around ability.