New England Patriots Met Virtually With This Tight End Prospect

NFL teams will have to wait a really long time to make their draft picks. Head coach Bill Belichick is not wasting his time. He is already evaluating prospects. Does he have a favorite? According to recent reports, the Patriots have had a virtual meeting with a tight end prospect.

New England had a meeting with Ole Miss tight end Kenny Yeboah. Justin Melo of The Draft Network confirmed the information.

Yeboah has really great receiving numbers in Lane Kiffin’s Rebels offense in 2020. He caught 27 passes for 524 yards and six touchdowns in seven games. He opted out of the final two games to get ready for the NFL draft. Let’s just say this was a really good decision.

Patriots could use the tight end prospect

If you are interested in stats, Yeboah had a 19.4 yards-per-catch average. He ranked third among all FBS tight ends. NFL coaches watched his great performance against the eventual national champion  Alabama. This was his best performance of the year. Yeboah had seven catches, 181 yards, and two scores in the 63-48 game.

Patriots scouts watched Yeboah at the 2021 Senior Bowl. He measures at 6-foot-4, 247 pounds. This is actually on the lighter side for the Patriots. Belichick targets tight ends who go in the mid-to-high 250s.

NFL experts have some concerns about the blocking ability of the former high school wide receiver. He had 14.9 percent of his catchable targets in college as reported by Pro Football Focus. That’s 13 of 87. According to experts, Yeboah projects as a Day prospect at this point of the year.

The Patriots ignored this position in the previous ten years. The team traded up to get two tight ends in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene got a chance to show off, but they combined for just five catches for 55 yards and one touchdown in 2020. Both players spent significant time on injured reserve.

Belichick will have to get a tight end this offseason. It’s a priority for the team. New England ranked last in the NFL in receptions by tight ends in each of the two seasons since Gronk’s departure.