Patriots Draft Eli Raridon: New Tight End

0:00It's April 25th. This is NFL News Today, your AI-powered source for everything NFL. The New England Patriots just snagged Notre Dame Titan Eli Raredon with a 95th pick in the third round of the draft. This 22-year-old stands six foot six and weighs 245 pounds, bringing solid size and speed from his 4.62-second 40-yard dash. They built real rapport with him through meetings at the Shrine Bowl, Senior Bowl, and a pre-draft visit, showing they saw him as a key piece. Raredon overcame two ACL tears early in his Notre Dame career, but bounced back strong, playing 40 games with 18 starts. His best season came in 2025, where he hauled in 48 catches for 623 yards and three touchdowns. A multi-sport guy from Iowa, who also balled in basketball, he lined up in line in the slot even the backfield sometimes. Raredons and analysts are buzzing because Titan was a big question mark for New England

1:00after grabbing an offensive tackle and edge rusher earlier. Raredons got massive hands, good body control for contested catches, and he's willing in the run game, though he needs to bulk up and sharpen his. Blocking. He fits right with vets like Hunter Henry and new guy Julian Hill, adding that Y-Titan versatility. Now with Raredon in the mix, the Pats Titan room looks stacked, Henry, Hill, and him are roster locks, pushing backups to scrap for practice squad, spots. The team checked his box off, freeing them to hunt other needs later in the draft without circling back here. Eli's not polished yet, but his all-around skills scream quick contributor, and with some strength gains, he could evolve into a three-down force like, Henry and Foxboro. Keep an eye on this rook as training camp heats up.