Dalton Keene
Dalton Keene (born April 14, 1999) is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Virginia Tech.
No. 44 – New England Patriots | |||||||||
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Position: | Tight end | ||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||
Born: | St. Louis, Missouri | April 14, 1999||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
Weight: | 251 lb (114 kg) | ||||||||
Career information | |||||||||
High school: | Chatfield (Littleton, Colorado) | ||||||||
College: | Virginia Tech | ||||||||
NFL Draft: | 2020 / Round: 3 / Pick: 101 | ||||||||
Career history | |||||||||
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Roster status: | Active | ||||||||
Career NFL statistics as of 2020 | |||||||||
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Early life and high school
Keene grew up in Littleton, Colorado and attended Chatfield High School, where he played middle linebacker and running back on the football team and also ran track.[1] He was named first team All-State as a senior after rushing for 1,175 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.[2]
College career
Keene started 12 games as a true freshman and caught 10 passes for 167 yards.[3] He was named honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference after recording 28 receptions for 341 yards and three touchdowns in his sophomore season.[4][5] As a junior, Keene caught 21 passes for 240 yards and five touchdowns.[6] Following the end of the season, Keene announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility to enter the 2020 NFL Draft.[7] Keene finished his collegiate career with 59 receptions for 748 yards and eight touchdowns in 39 games played.[8]
Professional career
Keene was selected in the third round with the 101st overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.[9] The Patriots acquired the pick from a division rival, the New York Jets, trading two fourth-round picks in the 2020 draft and a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. It was the first time in Bill Belichick's 20 years as head coach of the Patriots that the team included a future draft pick to move up in a draft.[10] He made his NFL debut in Week 7, recording one catch for eight yards. He was placed on injured reserve on November 10, 2020, with a knee injury.[11] He was activated on December 5, 2020.[12]
References
- "Chatfield alum Dalton "Rambo" Keene projected as late-round pick out of Virginia Tech". The Denver Post.
- Niziolek, Mike (October 20, 2019). "Versatile tight end Dalton Keene adds backup running back to resume in win over North Carolina". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
- "Colorado Native TE Dalton Keene Checks Multiple Boxes for Broncos in Draft". Maven.
- Daniels, Mark. "Patriots: Tight end could become focal point in draft". telegram.com.
- "'In the trenches' with Dalton Keene for a behind the scenes look at Virginia Tech's summer routine". Roanoke Times. June 15, 2019.
- "ESPN's Mel Kiper ranks Dalton Keene as one of the top tight ends available in 2020 NFL Draft". Roanoke Times.
- "Hokies' Dalton Keene hopes his versatility leads to his name being called during the NFL draft". Daily Press.
- Roche, Conor (April 25, 2020). "5 things to know about Patriots draft pick Dalton Keene". Boston.com. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
- Clements, Devon (April 24, 2020). "Patriots Select Virginia Tech TE Dalton Keene By Trading Back into 3rd Round". SI.com.
- "What Did Patriots See In Dalton Keene To Make Unprecedented Draft Trade? | New England Patriots | NESN.com". Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- "Patriots Make A Series of Roster Transactions". Patriots.com. November 10, 2020.
- "Patriots Make a Series of Roster Transactions". Patriots.com. December 5, 2020. Retrieved January 13, 2021.