The New England Patriots traded up again to draft a tight end, selecting Virginia Tech's Dalton Keene 101st overall in the 2020 NFL Draft after sending three picks to the rival New York Jets.

Per NBC Sports' Albert Breer, the Jets have traded the 101st overall selection to New England in exchange for picks No. 125, No. 129 and a 2021 sixth-round selection.

The team selected UCLA tight end Devin Asiasi earlier in the round after trading with the Raiders and with the Jets. With that said, it's clear that the Patriots' frontoffice is trying to shore up their obvious weakness at the position.

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The Patriots struggled mightily to get production out of the tight end position without Rob Gronkowski, who retired prior to the 2019 campaign. All in all, the team started four different tight ends in 2019 — none of whom were particularly effective.

Veteran TE Ben Watson led the position with 17 catches for 173. However, all four starters combined for a total of 419 yards and two touchdowns.

Adding some youth to the position will hopefully yield better results for the Patriots as they try and move on from Gronkowski.

As for Dalton Keene, the 6-foot-4, 253-pound tight end was a versatile weapon for the Hokies throughout his career, as he recorded 28 catches for 341 yards and three touchdowns in 2018, and 21 catches for 240 yards and five touchdowns in 2019. Keene also rushed the ball 11 times last season for 33 yards and showed solid athleticism at the 2020 NFL combine.