Overview
- The Patriots selected Eli Raridon at No. 95 in the 2026 NFL draft and CBS Sports ranked him fifth among rookie tight ends in a July evaluation.
- CBS projected a conservative rookie line of 22 catches for 241 yards and two touchdowns, a baseline some analysts say Raridon could exceed.
- Raridon showed his most complete tape in 2025 at Notre Dame with 32 catches for 482 yards and finished his college career with 48 receptions for 623 yards.
- New England highlighted Raridon's size and testing — 6'6", 245 pounds, a 4.62 40-yard dash, 10 3/4-inch hands and an 80-inch wingspan — as traits that favor a vertical, multi-role tight end.
- With Hunter Henry entrenched as the No. 1 tight end, Raridon now faces a quicker developmental path to meaningful snaps and the team may pursue an additional veteran blocker to shore up the depth chart.