The Patriots stayed put at No. 95 overall to select Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon.
With tight end believed to be the next biggest need on their roster, selecting Raridon in the third round makes sense for the Patriots after the rest of the league went on a run at the position in the second and third rounds.
At 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, Raridon has impressive speed, testing well with a 4.62-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. He had a vertical leap of 36 inches with a 10-feet, 3-inch broad jump, 7.16-second 3-cone drill and 4.38-second short shuttle.
Raridon also brings upside as a blocker and can play in-line or split out in the slot.
The 22-year-old caught 32 passes for 482 yards during his senior season at Notre Dame. In his four-year career, he caught 48 passes for 623 yards with three touchdowns.
Raridon tore his right ACL twice. The first occurrence came while playing basketball as a senior in high school. He re-tore the same ACL as a college freshman. He went on to play 35 games with 18 starts after the second knee injury.
On his call with local media after being selected, Raridon said his knee feels good. He said he models his game after 49ers tight end George Kittle.
Raridon took a visit with the Patriots this spring and met with head coach Mike Vrabel, tight ends coach Thomas Brown and other members of the staff. He was struck by the team’s new facilities and the leadership in the organization.
The Patriots traded up to land their top two picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, trading the 31st and 125th overall picks to the Bills to select Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu 28th overall. In the second round, they moved up from 63rd overall to take Illinois edge defender Gabe Jacas, trading the 131st and 202nd overall picks to the Chargers.
Offensive tackle and edge defender were regarded as the Patriots’ top needs in the 2026 NFL Draft, so it was not a surprise to see Lomu and Jacas selected in the first two rounds.
Both players will likely begin their careers as backups with Lomu playing behind left tackle Will Campbell and right tackle Morgan Moses. Jacas enters the Patriots with Harold Landry and Dre’Mont Jones above him on the depth chart.