Patriots Draft Eli Raridon: New Tight End

0:00On April 25th, the New England Patriots grabbed a tight end in the third round of the 2026 NFL draft, snagging Notre Dame's Eli Raritan, at the 95th overall pick right in their Foxboro War Room. Raritan, who just turned 22, had a rocky start with back-to-back ACL tears early on, but he bounced back strong, playing in 40 games for the Irish and starting 18. His senior years stood out with 32 catches for 482 yards, no missed games, and solid yards after the catch. Fans and scouts love his size at 6 foot 6, 245 pounds, plus that speed. He clocked to 4.6 to 40 at the combine, with a 36 inch vertical and a 10 foot 3 broad jump. He crushed deep balls too, hauling in all eight targets downfield, and he's no slouch blocking with 20 bench press reps and long arms. Meanwhile, the paths have been thinnets hide-in lately, drafting a few since 2015, but not getting much staying power. Hunter Henry's 30 now, on his last contract year with a big cap hit,

1:03so they need depth behind him, Julian Hill, and some undrafted guys. Raritan fits perfect as that developing third option in Josh McDaniel's scheme, especially after his 30 visit to Gillette Stadium, watch him test. Those seams and build this room up. NFL news today, powered by AI, bringing you what matters on game day.