Keene Insight: Patriots Tight End Facing ‘Make or Break’ Season

Tight end Dalton Keene has been surrounded by promise, but riddled with injury during his tenure with the New England Patriots.

In 2021, the tight end position was once again expected to take center stage for the New England Patriots offense.

However, beyond high-profile free acquisitions Hunter Henry and Jonnu Smith, the Pats received little-to-no production from the position — something the team would undoubtedly prefer to change in 2022. To do so, New England is counting on the progression of a pair of 2020 third-round draft selections, Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene.

Neither Asiasi nor Keene has lived up to expectation thus far in their brief tenure as Patriots. While Asiasi has spent much of his time as a healthy scratch on game day, Keene has been something of an enigma since first donning a Patriots jersey. Though an aura of potential has surrounded him for two seasons, has seldom seen the field at a pro-level, mostly due to injury.

Per a recent report from ESPN, the cloud of questionable health may still be circling him heading into his third year with the Pats.

“This is a make-or-break year for tight end Dalton Keene, the Patriots' other 2020 third-round pick whose best hope to stick might be as an H-back type, and it doesn't help that he has been limited the past two weeks after suffering an undisclosed injury at the first OTA practice May 23. The setback, albeit seemingly minor, is a reflection of how the Virginia Tech alum has had a series of unfortunate breaks, which includes missing all of last season on IR.” — Mike Reiss

Keene was selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft (101st overall) out of Virginia Tech. Much like his rookie classmate and fellow tight-end Asiasi, Keene underwhelmed in his first season in New England. Though he did miss some time early on in 2020 with a neck injury, the 22-year-old struggled to find comfort in the Pats offense. He appeared in six games during his rookie season, logging three receptions for 16 yards on five targets.

Despite his first-season struggles, the Pats remained hopeful that Keene would be versatile enough to be deployed in-line, in the slot and in the backfield in 2021. The 22-year-old was expected to use his time in camp to work on improving his route running, while also taking some reps at the fullback position. However, Keene was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list prior to the start of training camp. In August, he was moved to injured reserve, after undergoing surgery to repair a meniscus injury.

It remains unclear whether Keene’s injury is related to his recovery from his offseason meniscus surgery, or if it stems from an unrelated issue. However, if he hopes to catch the sharp eye of the Patriots coaching staff, he must demonstrate versatility and durability.

If healthy, Keene has the ability to move around the field — allowing him to line up as an H-back, a fullback, or as an option in the slot or the perimeter. In the wake of fullback Johnson’s defection to the Las Vegas Raiders, he should be expected to compete for a more prominent role in the backfield; both as a blocker and as a power runner after the catch.

In the final analysis, Keene has the skill and the potential to earn a spot on New England’s 53 man roster this season. To do so, however, he must remain on the field. While he may continue to carry a limited workload in the team’s upcoming mandatory minicamp, Keene must do all he can to get back to near-full strength for the start of training camp in late July. If that proves to be less than possible, he will face an uphill battle to earn a place on the Patriots in 2022.