The Patriots made yet another trade, this time at the end of Round 3.
New England did not have a third-round pick remaining, but it traded picks No. 125, 129 and a 2021 sixth-rounder to the Jets for pick No. 101.
With that pick, it selected Virginia Tech tight end Dalton Keene. The team had just selected UCLA tight end Devin Asiasi at No. 91 overall, so it double-dipped on the position.
Keene is one of the more versatile tight ends in the draft and apparently Bill Belichick and Co. weren't in line with how many others saw the position, as Adam Trautman and Harrison Bryant were still available at the time of the pick. He was expected to be a late-round pick.
Here are three quick thoughts in the second tight end the Patriots drafted on Day 2.
-- Keene can line up all over the field, including in the backfield (one start at running back). His best season numbers wise came in 2018 when he had 28 receptions for 341 yards and three touchdowns. He is also known for his toughness, starting 38 straight games. While he doesn't drastically stand out with any one thing, he does have some very good hands as he had just one drop in his entire college career. Also of note, he did not have a single penalty in 2019.
-- The Colorado native does not seem like much of a receiving threat. He never reached 90 receiving yards in any of his 38 career starts, but he seems like a player Belichick will like to have because of his toughness and ability to do a number of different things. Do not expect Keene to make much of an impact in the passing game.
-- He comes from a family of athletes. His father (Wesley) played defensive end at Murray State for College Football Hall of Fame coach Frank Beamer. Also, his older brother (Trey) played baseball and football at Northern Colorado. Some say he gets his toughness from his dad.
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