2020 NFL Draft: New England Patriots Draft Report Card

Round 3

As an Alabama linebacker, Anfernee Jennings has a reputation to uphold. Alongside fellow alumni Dont’a Hightower, he will have the perfect opportunity to carry his collegiate success to the NFL. Similarly to Josh Uche, Jennings is a versatile outside linebacker who will be able to operate on the edge in New England’s hybrid defense.

As previously said, New England likes to use their outside linebackers in a variety of ways from pass-rush, to run defense, to pass coverage. Jennings has proven production in all three facets of the game.

At Alabama, Jennings tallied 83 tackles (12.5 for loss), eight sacks, and an interception in his senior season. He measures in at 6-foot-2, 256 pounds, and plays with strength on the edge against larger opponents.

In the pass rush, Jennings doesn’t use power as often to get to the quarterback but uses an impressive (not elite) first step to get into the blocker’s chest and work through with his hands. Jennings is able to use power but needs to finish his rush with a pass-rush move to shuck the blocker aside.

One of the most important parts of playing in the Patriots defensive front that Jennings has, an incredible motor. Jennings is feisty getting to the quarterback and is willing to throw his body at ball carriers and batted balls in the air. Both Jennings and Uche will fill in well in New England’s defensive front, and complete their duty as the versatile outside linebackers they were drafted to be.

Grade: A

The second player Belichick has traded up for, Devin Asiasi is an athletic tight end who plays even bigger than what he is measured at. Coming in at 6-foot-3, 257 pounds, Asiasi is on the smaller side for tight ends fitting into the modern world of explosive NFL receiving threats. Running a 4.73 40, Asiasi will be able to break plays open up the seam and from dump-off routes as a safety blanket.

Even without elite size for the position, Asiasi plays big and is able to do some of the same things that make any tight end elite. He can break tackles and require multiple defenders to take down, be a threat to turn dump-offs upfield for big gains, can outsize coverage in the seam, and make catches in traffic over the middle.

The 4.73 40 comes to the forefront once he is in open fan field, breaking away from defenders and becoming an impossible solo tackle when moving at speed and weighing 250+ pounds.

New England has had an obvious void at tight end since the initial retirement of Rob Gronkowski and will need a new presence with young quarterback Jarrett Stidham inheriting the starting role in 2020. Asiasi may not be as polished in his run blocking but will operate as an explosive safety blanket and friendly-target for Stidham.

Grade: B

Doubling down on their investment at tight end, New England brings in Virginia Tech tight end Dalton Keene as a more conventional partner to Asiasa’s receiving ability. Keene measures in at a comparable 6-foot-4, 253 pounds, also posting a similar 40 at 4.71 seconds.

Keene is a more capable blocker in both the pass and run game, lining up the backfield as a blocker on occasion.  After the catch, Keene is not as impressive as a ball carrier as Asiasi, but can still create yardage with his size.

Keene is being brought into New England to be a gritty tight end who can still stay in the passing game as a checkdown or safety blanket. He is not going to threaten the seams or boundary but will put up his numbers over the middle and provide run blocking. Belichick likes to have tight ends with varying skill sets to fill specific roles in the offense. Like Gronkowski was, Keene is being drafted as a tight end with a balance between his receiving and blocking skills.

The last time New England drafted two tight ends in the same draft was in the 2010 NFL Draft with Rob Gronkowski (2nd round) and Aaron Hernandez (4th round). One was defined as a receiving threat, the other a blocking threat. I understand the idea here, but why would the New England Patriots take back-to-back tight ends and made neither of them Albert Okwuegbunam or Adam Trautman.

Grade: D