As the team responsible for revolutionizing the position earlier in the decade, it was odd last season watching Patriots tight ends have virtually no impact on the offense whatsoever.
For the first time since drafting Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez 10 years ago, the tight end position was not a focal point of the attack.
Whether it was with a single tight end set or a two tight-end alignment, which the Patriots popularized, there was scant production from the unit.
That had to change. Amid a sea of needs, the Patriots placed a high priority on revitalizing the position in this year’s draft.
Interestingly, and perhaps not surprising given Coach Bill Belichick’s track record, their first choice wasn’t a name that had been prominently linked to the team, or mentioned among the first few tight ends expected off the board.
Devin Asiasi, projected to be in the middle of a draft class that wasn’t highly ranked in general, wasn’t getting much love on various media boards. He wasn’t listed in the top five in many positional rankings for tight ends heading into the draft. And yet, he turned out to be the object of the Pats’ affection.
The Patriots moved nine spots up the board to snag Asiasi at 91st overall in the third round and make him the second tight end taken.
So, what was it about the UCLA tight end? What was his appeal? What made him rise above the rest of the 2020 tight end class, from a Patriots’ perspective?
There had to be some hook, or intel the Pats had that sold them on Asiasi. After all, they hadn’t drafted a tight end below the fourth round since adding the dynamic Gronkowski/Hernandez duo in 2010.
With Gronkowski no longer keeping the position viable in Foxborough, the Patriots, at the very least, got the ball rolling on a possible replacement.
That’s the back story. Now let’s get on to why Asiasi was the prime target and initial choice at tight end.
Kelly connection
One of the first reasons factoring into Asiasi’s selection was the identity of the head coach at UCLA.
Chip Kelly’s connection with Belichick is strong. It’s an obvious tie, and no doubt played a role in Asiasi being on the Patriots’ radar. Kelly, who has bounced between NFL and college jobs, coached UCLA the past few years, and is someone Belichick trusts. His word undoubtedly held a lot of weight.
UCLA tight ends coach Derek Sage, who has been on Kelly’s staff since his days at New Hampshire in the early ’90s, cited the relationship between the coaches as a significant factor in why the Patriots held such high regard for Asiasi.
“When (Belichick) asks him about Devin, I think that goes a long way,” Sage said of the Kelly influence on Belichick. “He knows he’s going to be honest with him. He’s not going to sell him.”
Sage also pointed to Kelly’s success, either grooming tight ends, or making them effective in his pro-style offense. Brent Celek and Zach Ertz, both members of the Eagles when Kelly was Philadelphia’s head coach, are just two of the star tight ends that have come out of his stable.
Ostensibly, Asiasi has the tools and makeup to be the next.
“A lot of people don’t know, Coach Kelly is All-Madden when it comes to tight ends,” said Sage. “It goes back to his days as the offensive coordinator at New Hampshire. We had all-conference tight ends there. Then he had some studs at Oregon, as well.”
Asiasi is merely the latest to shine in Kelly’s offense.
NFL Network football analyst Charles Davis, who provides draft commentary for the network, offered a theory why Asiasi might not have been in the top tier of tight ends initially.
He believes Asiasi’s stock was likely impacted by UCLA’s struggles in recent years (13-24 over the last three seasons). Asiasi only really had one good season in that setting. But that didn’t dissuade Belichick.
“As usual, rankings mean nothing to the Patriots,” said Davis. “The only ranking that counts is theirs.”
Having watched Asiasi, who entered the draft after completing his redshirt junior season, Davis could easily see the type of traits making him a good fit with the Pats.
“Knowing Coach Belichick, he wants a guy who can make plays downfield, first and foremost, out of a tight end,” said Davis. “I think (Asiasi) has that. There’s a nimbleness and a niftiness on his feet that hasn’t been fully exploited. That’s what I think the Patriots saw. But he’s also one of those guys where there’s more there, there’s a bigger upside.”
That upside comes with a 6-foot-3, 257-pound frame, and a 4.73 time in the 40-yard dash. Just as a comparison, Gronkowski checked in at 6-6, 268 at the scouting combine. He had a 4.68 time in the 40. Hernandez? He was 6-2, 245, and ran a 4.64 40.
While he needs work refining his technique as a blocker, Asiasi figures to make a ton of plays down the seam, much like Gronkowski did during his illustrious 9-year career with the Patriots. Also like Gronk, he provides a good target in the type of play-action based attack the Patriots employ.
“He was a guy who could stretch the field vertically for us, but in this day and age, to get a point-of-attack block from a tight end, inline, that’s few and far between,” said Sage. “I think that’s why you saw him get drafted so high as an underclassman.
“If you turn on his last four games, I’d put it up against anyone in the country in terms of an all-around, 50-50 tight end for the next level.”
A 50-50 tight end can not only catches passes, but also has the ability to block.
Apple of their eye
Asiasi certainly blossomed in his final year, catching 44 passes for 641 yards with four touchdowns in 2019 as one of the focal points in Kelly’s offense. Overall, he had 52 career catches for 789 yards with six scores over three seasons split between UCLA and Michigan. With time, Asiasi could also develop into a bonafide NFL tight end and legitimate successor to Gronk.
The Patriots clearly wanted to draft an impactful player at the position. They needed a boost, especially now with Jarrett Stidham being the frontrunner to replace Tom Brady. Asiasi and Virginia Tech’s Dalton Keene, also drafted by the Patriots in the third round, will attempt to be the answer.
Dayton’s Adam Trautman, Florida International’s Harrison Bryant, Missouri’s Albert Okwuegbuman, and Washington’s Hunter Bryant were still on the board, after the Bears took Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet, the top prospect, but the Patriots weren’t interested.
Asiasi was still the apple of their eye.
Along with his ability, and the Kelly connection, it helped Asiasi that along his collegiate journey he crossed paths with Jedd Fisch, a first-year assistant on the Patriots’ staff.
After spending the past two seasons as the Rams’ assistant offensive coordinator under Sean McVay, Fisch joined the Patriots early in the year, presumably as the new quarterbacks coach.
It’s reasonable to assume Fisch also put in a good word for Asiasi, having spent time with him first as the passing game coordinator for the Wolverines, and later as the offensive coordinator for the Bruins.
Fisch also had a pretty good idea what he brought to the table, and could do for the Patriots down the road. So if Kelly’s recommendation didn’t totally convince Belichick, Fisch likely put it over the top.
Beyond that, with teams unable to host prospects on visits due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and no Pro Days, front offices had to rely quite a bit on their film evaluations and what took place at the Senior Bowl.
Sage believes that might have actually benefited Asiasi with respect to the Patriots.
“Because of (the pandemic) it came down to a true film evaluation,” said Sage, “and who’s better at that than Coach Belichick?”
Beyond Michigan and UCLA, Asiasi also played at one of the most prestigious football programs in the country at De La Salle High School, in Concord, California. One of his teammates in the tight end room was Austin Hooper, the former Falcons star who joined the Browns in free agency.
It really wasn’t until Asiasi worked with Kelly and Sage at UCLA, essentially leaving Michigan to head back home, that he finally blossomed.
Mismatch nightmare
Austin Burton, who had been in UCLA’s quarterback stable before recently transferring to Purdue, is another fan. He raves about his former tight end.
Burton, the son of WBZ sportscaster Steve Burton, and Asiasi arrived at UCLA around the same time.
“He’s probably one of the most talented players I’ve ever seen,” Burton said. “He gets in and out of his cuts unbelievably well. He runs great routes. Just catches every ball that’s headed in his direction.”
Burton pointed out that Asiasi, while a typical in-line tight end, had special plays designed just for him lined up in the slot, on the outside or in the backfield. That’s another indicator of how highly Kelly thought of the tight end.
“They had plays that were meant for him, because they understood his talent and athleticism,” said Burton. “They’d create plays, have him out wide to create a mismatch, or just get him the ball in open space.”
That was the beauty of Gronkowski and Hernandez, their ability to create mismatches wherever they lined up. Linebackers couldn’t keep up, while cornerbacks and safeties were overmatched. And that would be the hope for Asiasi, too, being another mismatch nightmare in the offense.
Burton also noted Asiasi rarely, if ever, dropped a pass, or put the ball on the ground. Asiasi registered just one drop in 2019.
“From the three years of practice, I hardly remember him dropping any balls,” said Burton. “And fumbling, it’s pretty hard to rip that ball away from that kid. I never saw it, to be honest with you.”
Burton was at first a little intimidated by Asiasi, given the tight end’s size. But ultimately, Burton got to know him, and learned Asiasi was one of the kindest players he met during his college career, later saying: “He’s laid-back, not a high maintenance guy.”
During his conference call with the media after being drafted, Asiasi mentioned he grew up on the West Coast, in San Mateo, California, otherwise known as Tom Bradyland.
So he knows all about the Patriots, and understands the history of winning. He won’t get to play with Brady, but he still jumps aboard a team that sets incredibly high standards.
“I think (Patriot fans) are really going to like him there,” said Burton. “He’s a guy that wants to win, no matter the cost. He’s just a great competitor.”
One the Patriots are hoping will get the tight end position back on track.
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