As the first of two tight ends selected in the 2020 NFL Draft, UCLA tight end Devin Asiasi now will be joining the New England Patriots. In an attempt to try and replace the production that was vacated by the trade of Rob Gronkowski to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Asiasi will be asked to take on a pretty hefty role right away in his rookie season.

Incumbent tight end Matt LaCosse leads the depth chart right now, but with the type of college production that Asiasi put together, it would not be a surprise to seem LaCosse get passed up very soon, even in training camps.

20 catches

With there not being a solid option on the team that can be looked at as a field stretcher or a viable offensive weapon, Asiasi and 2020 draftee Dalton Keene (Virginia Tech) will both be asked to be the field stretchers that they have been missing ever since Gronk retired and then was subsequently traded.

A mild projection of 20 catches should be reasonable for the UCLA rookie, as he should slide right into the role of a solid in-line guy that can easily be moved into the slot or even outside for certain packages.

300 yards

Along with those 20 catches, converting them into 300-plus yards should be reasonable for Asiasi, especially with how the Patriots choose to utilize their tight ends. With only having Julian Edelman as a top-flight pass catcher and confusion as to who will be starting under center for this season and beyond, Asiasi could use the uncertainty surrounding this upcoming season as a nice coming out party for him.

Three touchdowns

He will not be the type of offensive juggernaut that Gronk is or was for New England, which is something that Asiasi should not try to be when he comes in and tries to make an impression on the NE coaching staff.

But if he can put together a 20-catch/300-receiving yard/3-touchdown year in his first NFL season, then the investment can be seen as a valuable addition that could only improve.