The New England Patriots were lacking a reliable tight end in 2019. The team is hoping one of their rookies can prevent that from happening again in 2020. As New England continues training camp, Bill Belichick is seeing progress in rookies Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene.

“Devin and Dalton have worked hard,” Belichick said. “They’ve been out there, they’ve taken a lot of reps, they continue to get better. They have a long way to go, as do all the rookies that we’ve drafted, but we’re seeing progress. We’ll see.”

Back in April, the Patriots selected Asiasi with the No. 91 pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Then, just 10 picks later, New England would select another tight end in Keene.

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In doing so, it's apparent that the Patriots are longing to have a productive group of tight ends once again. Asiasi, who caught 44 passes for 641 yards in his final season at UCLA in 2019, spoke out on the challenge that this year's class of rookies is experiencing due to COVID-19.

“I think it’s a challenge for us rookies coming right now because of the whole situation,” said Asiasi during a media conference call on Monday. “We’re taking it day-by-day, trying to see and look at the things we can work on and seeing the things we’re doing well in. Keeping those tools sharp, but also putting different tools in the toolbox. For us, it’s trying to take it day-by-day, welcoming in the challenge every day and working hard and putting our best foot forward.”

Last season, New England deployed a tight end group that featured Ben Watson, Ryan Izzo, and Matt LaCosse. While it is unclear what their roles will be to begin the season, Belichick likes what he sees from his first-year tight ends thus far.