Patriots: Here’s Why Devin Asiasi Will Likely Be New England’s Starting TE

The Patriots drafted two tight ends in the third round of the 2020 draft, but Devin Asiasi will probably start.

The New England Patriots have no clear-cut starting tight end for the 2020 season, which means there will be a heated competition once training camp rolls around.

Veteran Matt LaCosse figures to have a slight edge simply due to experience, but Bill Belichick selected two tight ends in the third round of this year’s drafted when he took UCLA’s Devin Asiasi and Virginia Tech’s Dalton Keene.

Who will be getting the most starting reps when the upcoming campaign is in full swing? The answer is Asiasi, and here’s why.

After Rob Gronkowski’s retirement and Ben Watson’s suspension, LaCosse played in 11 games for the Patriots last season and started eight, but managed to haul in just 13 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. Fans should hardly expect him to be the favorite after putting up those numbers, regardless of the reason why they were so low.

As for Keene, there’s already talk of him being a hybrid player and logging snaps at tight end, fullback and H-back, and when you consider the fact he hauled in just 59 passes for 748 yards and eight touchdowns in 27 starts at VT, one can assume Belichick will want to use him in a multitude of ways, especially given his blocking abilities.

Then we have Asiasi, who had a whole lot of nothing to show for himself heading into 2019. He transferred from Michigan to UCLA and had eight receptions for 148 yards and two touchdowns to his name.

But then came last year when he hauled in 44 passes for 641 yards (14.6 average) and four touchdowns in 12 games. Given all the issues the Bruins’ offense ran into (regression of QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, terrible offensive line, and underuse of Demetric Felton), that’s a good campaign from Asiasi, who hadn’t played in more than four games in a single season.

He boasts a 6-foot-3 and 257-pound frame, which is a big target for Cam Newton, and possesses solid speed (he ran a 4.73 40-yard dash at the Combine). Here’s what the scouting report on Patriots.com reads:

“Moves well for size. … Big-play TE with the ability to get up the seam. … Works well against zone coverages. … Shows ability to run solid routes and creates separation with his breaks. … Excellent run-after-catch ability. … Can be used as an in-line tight end as well as flexed into the slot. … Exceptional athlete who is on the rise after a solid 2019 season.”

Plus, he’s already getting reps in with Newton and his other new teammates, so he’s got a head start. Don’t be surprised if he’s starting for most of 2020 if he can put it all together.