What It Means:

It was reported last week that Asiasi has been "doing it all" in Patriots training camp and Howe's assessment suggests the third-round rookie could see starter snaps right away. Asiasi is also capable of making plays in the passing game, as he averaged over 15.0 yards per catch and had 14 plays of 20-plus yards in his last two seasons at UCLA. He also had the third-lowest drop rate (68-of-69 catches) at his position last season.

numberFire's models expect Asiasi to draw 29.7 targets this season, narrowly out-targeting Dalton Keene (24.6) and Ryan Izzo (16.8). He's the TE46 in our preseason fantasy rankings and projected for 205.2 yards and 1.7 touchdowns on 18.5 receptions.