Patriots Draft Eli Raridon: Kittle-Like Talent

0:00On April 25th, Patriots just snagged Eli Raritan, a tight end from Notre Dame in the third round 95th overall of the 2026 NFL. Draft. This four-star recruit out of Des Moines turned down big schools like Iowa and Michigan to go Irish. Right away, he shouted out George Kittle as his role model. The Iowa Hawkeye turned 9 or star for that nasty blocking mentality and playmaking vibe. Raritan's scouting report lights him up as a dominant inline blocker, sustaining drives with serious leverage, much like Kittle's consistent. 70 plus run blocking grades over four straight seasons. Pat's brass had been eyeing him hard, hitting up all star games in a pre-draft visit, filling their clear need at the position. Fans and scouts are buzzing about the parallels, but Raritan's got that injury, Bugaboo 2, torn ACLs. But the Pat's medical crew, from Jim Whalen to the headduck, gave him full clearance after deep dives at the combine and beyond. Elliott Wolf says no red flags internally.

1:02In the passing game, though, Raritan Senior Year popped with 32 catches for 482 yards, averaging 15.1 yards. Per grab and leading tight ends in deep balls. Kittle's got the monster resume, 595 receptions, 8,000 8 yards, 52 scores over 9 years. But Raritan calls, himself versatile, ready to block and explode. Now the spotlight's on. If this 22-year-old can channel that Kittle energy into pro-success, turning heads in New England from day one. I'm Cory with the story. That's your NFL news today update. AI powered and always on.