2020 NFL Draft: Devin Asiasi an exciting addition for New England Patriots

There is a lot to like about the New England Patriots selection of tight end Devin Asiasi in the 2020 NFL Draft.

I like what the New England Patriots have been able to do in the 2020 NFL Draft. They loaded up on versatile defensive prospects, adding safety Kyle Dugger, edge rusher Josh Uche and linebacker Anfernee Jennings to the mix with their first three picks. They also added a pair of tight ends late in the third round, trading up for Devin Asiasi at No. 91 and Dalton Keene at No. 101.

Keene is an interesting player who has some upside as some sort of an H-back/move tight end, but honestly, that pick felt like a reach. That being said, there is a lot to like about the Asiasi selection.

Asiasi was not able to get on the field much early in his college career, but he did have a strong 2019 season at UCLA, catching 44 passes for 641 yards and four touchdowns. Asiasi flashed a ton of athletic upside last season, showing impressive separation skills in his routes soft hands and ridiculous run after catch ability.

Asiasi does a great job of securing the catch and getting upfield quickly. He is naturally elusive and explosive with the ball in his hands and does show some nice power when finishing runs. His run blocking skills are adequate, but there is some room to improve in that area.

The New England Patriots did not address their tight end situation last offseason and it hurt them throughout the 2019 season. While we cannot expect Asiasi to be Rob Gronkowski, he is an exciting playmaker who can come in grow into an exciting playmaker for this team.

The Patriots are looking to give Jarrett Stidham the best chance possible to succeed in 2020 and beyond. Giving him this exciting run-after-catch playmaker at the tight end position in the 2020 NFL Draft is certainly a step in the right direction.