Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Dalton Keene, TE NE

Levi Chappell Posted On June 25, 2020

The NFL Draft is behind us, rookie drafts are taking place, and as dynasty owners, we are looking ahead to the upcoming season. In the Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update series, we break down all the incoming fantasy-relevant rookies, looking at their profile and where they fit.

Name: Dalton Keene

Position: Tight end

Pro Team: New England Patriots

College Team: Virginia Tech

Draft Status: Round three, 101st overall

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSPji5M48GI

COMBINE REVIEW

Height: 6’4”
Weight: 251 pounds
Arm Length: 32 1/4”
Hands: 9 3/4”
40-yard dash: 4.71 seconds
Bench press: 21 reps
Vertical jump: 34”
Broad jump: 125” (12 ft. 5 in.)
Three-cone drill: 7.07 seconds
20-yard shuttle: 4.19 seconds

STRENGTHS

Solid athleticism
Versatility
Makes plays with the ball in his hands
Engaged in blocking
Catches the ball effortlessly
Consistency
Plays smart with no penalties
Durable

WEAKNESSES

He was active in blocking but needs to improve technique
Minimal college production
Route running needs work
Needs to get bigger and improve his slender build

OPPORTUNITIES

The opportunity for Keene is pretty obvious, as I’m not sure there was a more tight end-needy team than the Patriots. Rob Gronkowski was gone last year and the Pats struggled to find any real production from that spot. So it was no surprise that the team addressed the position relatively early in the NFL draft, not just once, but twice. Keene was selected 101st overall, just ten picks after Devin Asiasi. The depth chart is wide open, and either of these rookies can grab hold of the starting job.

THREATS

Keene’s main threat will be fellow rookie Asiasi. Matt LaCosse and Ryan Izzo are both still on the roster and figure to play a factor in the tight end picture, but neither are game-changers. Asiasi is projected as more of a pass-catcher, while Keene is projected more as a utility player who can be used in a lot of different formations. With a shortened training camp or no camp at all, it will be interesting to see how the rookies can get integrated into the offense.

SHORT-TERM EXPECTATIONS

Short-term expectations for Keene should be very low. Most likely, Izzo and LaCosse will start out with first-team reps, then the rookies will start to see more playing time as they get comfortable in the offense. The Patriots offense is widely known as very complex and tough to comprehend which could pose another problem for Keene.

LONG-TERM EXPECTATIONS

Izzo and LaCosse are not long-term options, so this tight end group should be led by Keene and/or Asiasi within a year or two. We just have to wait and see how each player will be utilized in the offense. The Patriots drafted Keene due to his unique ability to line up inline, out wide and in the backfield. The downside to his fantasy outlook is that a player who is tossed all around the formation typically doesn’t hold much fantasy value.

NFL PLAYER COMPARISON

A similar build and play style that I see in Keene is that of Blake Jarwin.

Measurables:

Player	Blake Jarwin	Dalton Keene
Height	6’5”	6’4”
Weight	246 lbs	251 lbs
40-yard dash	4.76 and 4.69 seconds	4.71 seconds
Vertical	34 1/2”	34”
Broad jump	10-foot-1	10-foot-5
Bench press	21 reps	21 reps
20-yard Shuttle	4.34 seconds	4.19 seconds

Both can be utilized in different formations, have good hands, and can make plays after the catch. Jarwin has never been featured as the main tight end option with Jason Witten around but was still a solid contributor to his team. I could see something similar for Keene.

PROJECTED ROOKIE DRAFT RANGE

According to DLF’s Rookie ADP, Keene is being drafted towards the very back end of the fourth round or going undrafted. His average draft position is 45.90 and he is the fifth tight end being selected… which I think tells you a lot about this tight end class.

Keene is worth a priority free-agent pickup and a stash on a taxi squad… which is exactly what I did in a tight end-premium league I am currently in. I’m not sold on spending a rookie pick on him while there are other positional options that I like more in the fourth round of rookie drafts.

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Levi Chappell

Contributor at Dynasty League Football

Fueled by coffee, Levi spends most of his days in the real estate industry. When not in the real estate world, he is engulfed in dynasty and other sports. When other kids were playing with lincoln logs and legos, Levi was reading sports almanacs... for fun. "Too much fantasy" is not in his vocabulary.