Patriots Move Up To Draft Tight End Dalton Keene Late In Third Round
BOSTON (CBS) -- Shortly before the end of the third round, the Patriots made a rare trade with the Jets to make one more pick before the end of the second day of the 2020 NFL Draft.
That pick was tight end Dalton Keene out of Virginia Tech at No. 101 overall.
The pick was the second straight pick used on a tight end for the Patriots, as they also moved up to draft UCLA tight end Devin Asiasi at No. 91 overall.
The 6-foot-4, 253-pound Keene was given the nickname "Rambo" for his physicality. His overall numbers aren't eye-popping, with 59 receptions for 748 yards and eight touchdowns in 27 games, but his strength and size make him an intriguing prospect. He's also an extremely versatile player, with the ability to play tight end, fullback and H-back.
The Patriots were holding eight picks between the fourth and seven round prior to moving up to make the pick at No. 101. But the Patriots gave up two of those Saturday picks -- No. 125 and No. 129 overall -- as well as a 2021 sixth-round pick to move up to No. 101.
The Patriots and Jets had been in a bit of a cold war, going some 20 years without making any trades, after Belichick departed New York for New England in 2000. But that defrosted a bit last year, when the Patriots traded Demaryius Thomas to the Jets.