The New England Patriots drafted tight end Dalton Keene 101st overall in the third round and it seems Bill Belichick is already drooling over the ways he can add him to the offense. Belichick loves players who can do more than one thing, which makes Keene a perfect first for the team.
The New England head coach had this to say about Keene, via 247 Sports:
“I mean, when you watch Dalton play, you just don't see a lot of things that we do. The Virginia Tech offense didn't really translate too much to a New England Patriot offense. That's not uncommon with other players as well. It is what it is …
“I think the things you saw him do, which was his blocking, his effort to block, his toughness, ability to make plays with the ball in his hands, and certainly the intent of the offense to get him the ball was impressive. They did a lot of things to try to get him the ball one way or another: hand it to him, throw it to him, put him in different locations so that he could run with it or catch it and run with it. That's what you saw.”
So how will the Patriots use him in year one? Let's break down three bold predictions for Keene's rookie year.
Has at least 20 rushes for 150 yards
Keene lined up in the backfield a lot for Virginia Tech, but during his college career, he rushed only 11 times for 33 yards. It seems the Patriots are going to go to a run-first offense, which means there is going to be plenty of chances for Keene to rush the ball.
Look for him to carry the ball at least 20 times for 150 yards. Don't be shocked if he is used in goal-line situations and scores two or three touchdowns out of the backfield.
Article Continues BelowHis rushing touchdowns outnumber his receiving touchdowns
Look for Keene to get looks out of the backfield in the red zone, but his looks lining up at tight end in those situations could be lacking. He might still line up at times as a tight end inside the 10-yard line, but he won't get many touches. Look for Keene to score a couple of touchdowns on the ground, but he will be shut out through the air. He might catch one touchdown pass, but it will be from outside the 20.
Bails out the quarterback too many times to count
Keene is an athletic freak and has been considered by some to be the next George Kittle. If Jarrett Stidham does end up being the starting quarterback for the Patriots, there are going to be some growing pains. Look for Keene to use his athletic ability to make some ultra impressive plays.
There are going to be at least a couple of balls that are thrown that will look like interceptions that Keene will find a way to snatch out of the air.