{"id":874163,"date":"2026-04-25T08:03:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T08:03:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/874163\/"},"modified":"2026-04-25T08:03:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T08:03:29","slug":"2026-nfl-draft-grades-why-eli-raridon-is-good-fit-for-patriots-nbc-sports-boston","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/874163\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 NFL Draft grades: Why Eli Raridon is good fit for Patriots \u2013 NBC Sports Boston"},"content":{"rendered":"

Finding franchise quarterback Drake Maye a No. 1 wide receiver has been a popular topic of discussion during the offseason, but the New England Patriots also needed to give their most valuable player another tight end to target in the passing attack.<\/p>\n

The Patriots lost Austin Hooper in free agency last month, leaving veteran Hunter Henry as the only reliable pass-catcher at the position.<\/p>\n

So, it wasn’t surprising that the Patriots selected Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon with the No. 95 overall pick<\/a> in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft<\/a> on Friday night.<\/p>\n

Raridon set career highs with 32 receptions and 482 receiving yards at Notre Dame last season. He is listed at 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds.<\/p>\n

Our Patriots insider Phil Perry gives the Raridon pick a “B+” grade. Here’s his analysis:<\/p>\n

In a loaded tight end class, the Patriots came away with one of the few who profiles as a well-rounded “Y” who could be used to block on the line of scrimmage as well as impact games as a pass-catcher. At 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, he tested as a high-end athlete at this year’s combine (81st percentile 40 time, 81st percentile vertical, 88th percentile broad jump), and those traits showed up at Notre Dame where he averaged the fourth-most yards per catch (15.1) among Power 4 tight ends. <\/p>\n

While he’s a willing blocker, he could use some refinement there, and his injury history (tore his right ACL twice in 10 months four years ago) may have helped lead to a bit of a slide down the board for him Friday. But in Josh McDaniels’ offense, it’s easy to envision Raridon complementing Hunter Henry as a versatile seam-stretcher with an impressive catch radius.<\/p>\n

The Patriots do not have a fourth-round pick on Day 3 of the draft because they traded them in separate deals to move up in the first and second rounds. <\/p>\n

Their next pick is at No. 171 overall in the fifth round. It’s the first of five Day 3 picks that New England currently owns. <\/p>\n

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