The New England Patriots may have found a long-term solution at tight end when they drafted Eli Raridon in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. What does he bring to the offense? We'll examine.
The New England Patriots entered the 2026 offseason knowing they would need a long-term solution at tight end once Hunter Henry — who enters his age 32 season on an expiring contract — eventually moves on.
Rather than reaching early, New England waited patiently through an expected run on the position in the middle rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft — and Notre Dame’s Eli Raridon fell right into their lap at 95th overall. An explosive athlete with big play potential and serviceable tape as a plus-blocker in the run game, handing Raridon over to Josh McDaniels and Drake Maye could prove to be a mistake the rest of the league regrets for years to come.
In 2025, Raridon served as a “Y” tight end with the ideal combination of size (6'6", 245 lbs.), athleticism, flexibility to align across the formation, and a wide catch radius to stretch the field vertically and across the intermediate areas.
Limited production earlier in his career was largely due to injuries, but last season told a different story. He burst onto the scene in his senior year at Notre Dame in 2025, showing flashes of elite finishing ability as a blocker and the speed to threaten defenses up the seams, over the middle, and as a true deep threat. He hauled in 32 of 44 targets (72.7% reception rate) for 482 yards, averaging 15.1 yards per catch — sixth among all FBS tight ends.
Raridon's greatest contributions at tight end came as a deep receiver. He led all FBS tight ends with eight deep catches (20+ yards downfield) on just 10 targets for 282 yards. The only two targets he didn’t convert into receptions drew defensive pass-interference penalties. On 20+ yard passes, Raridon received a 99.9 receiving grade from PFF.
In contested catch situations, Raridon also performed well. He hauled in four of five contested targets in 2025, showcasing the ability to extend away from his frame to haul in the football, and the play strength (with massive 10 ¾” hands) to finish through contact.
Raridon's slip into the late third round was likely due to a small sample size of production (2025 was his only season with more than 100 receiving yards) paired with concerns about his durability. He previously recovered from a twice-torn right ACL — once at the end of high school in 2021 and again as a freshman at Notre Dame in 2022.
Those worries were put to rest by an impressive showing at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. Raridon ran a 4.62-second 40-yard dash, posted a 36" vertical jump and 10'3" broad jump, and put up 20 reps on the bench press. Those metrics produced a Relative Athletic Score of 9.66, ranking 47th out of 1,356 tight end prospects from 1987-2026.
With eight tight ends selected ahead of him, Raridon’s combination of upside and scheme fit as a future TE1 was simply too good to pass up at the bottom of the top 100.
His athleticism and strength will allow him to contribute on all three downs right away, showing dependable hands with a wide catch radius as a downfield target, strong awareness to find soft spots in zone coverage, and the toughness to block in-line.
Raridon projects as the long-term answer at the top of the tight end room, and now has the time and opportunity to develop under Hunter Henry as a rookie. He'll have the space to round out his frame and learn the intricacies of the offense while adding instant big-play potential and versatility as a run blocker.
Considering McDaniels’ proven track record of succeeding with tight ends that brought similar athletic profiles and Maye’s affinity for targeting the position in the passing game, Raridon could be the steal of the draft at 95th overall once he works his way into a consistent role.
Who is your favorite selection by New England in the 2026 NFL Draft? What would you grade their draft? Let us know in the comments section below.
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