The Tight End Dilemma

[PatsFan2]

Henry is one of Drake's closest friends and the most reliable receiving option the team has. The only reason to draft a TE is his future replacement. No one in the draft is going to step in and be better than Henry right away.

Henry and Hill seem like roster locks. I really dont know if theyll have the roster spots for 4 tight ends. Especially with a FB factored in.

I could see them drafting 2, but really only see 1 making the roster.

Couldn't find H Henry with a search warrant against very good Defenses. We are going to face a lot of those this upcoming season. Give me Sam Roush or give us Ocar Delp.

 

[Rdforty2]

Couldn't find H Henry with a search warrant against very good Defenses. We are going to face a lot of those this upcoming season. Give me Sam Roush or give us Ocar Delp.

Drake wasnt so hot against them either.

You couldn't find Delp anywhere his entire career in college. His production was very low.

I like Delp and Roush. A lot. Probably my 2 favorite tight ends in the draft. I hope they draft one. But they arent going to overtake Henry as rookies.

 

[scott99]

If they really wanna make a splash at TE, you go after a guy like Stowers. That truly opens up your offense. You can go to 12 personnel (2 TEs), and have Henry and Stowers out there ala Gronk and Hernandez. Henry is no Gronk, but he’s a solid pass catcher and blocker, and Stowers might be as good as Hernandez was. The Pat’s two TE offense was pretty unstoppable back in the Gronk/Hernandez days. You’d also have Brown (if they land him) and Doubs as your receivers in the 12 personnel.

But there are several explosive TEs out there you can grab. Stowers is just at another level.

 

[DaBruinz]

Drake wasnt so hot against them either.

You couldn't find Delp anywhere his entire career in college. His production was very low.

I like Delp and Roush. A lot. Probably my 2 favorite tight ends in the draft. I hope they draft one. But they arent going to overtake Henry as rookies.

This has been talked about as nauseum Delp's lack of production was the Georgia offense not using TEs in the passing game. When a team only targets TEs 43 times it's a QB/ Game Plan issue.

 

[scott99]

This has been talked about as nauseum Delp's lack of production was the Georgia offense not using TEs in the passing game. When a team only targets TEs 43 times it's a QB/ Game Plan issue.

Good point, 43 completions (not targets) for the TEs all year at Georgia, that is insane. Delp caught 20 passes for them. So he had almost half of all passes completed to TEs at Georgia in 2025. He will definitely be more productive as a TE in the NFL.

 

[nextsuperstar]

Raridon seems like a good fit. He won’t take Henry’s job, but he’s a nice developmental piece that hopefully can cause matchups problems down the line.

 

[mayoclinic]

 

[mayoclinic]

From Mike Reiss' Quick Hits:

Raridon report: The Patriots contributed to making NFL history when they selected Notre Dame's Eli Raridon in the third round, as Raridon was one of a record 17 tight ends picked within the first five rounds in the common draft era (since 1967).

In doing so, they are banking on the projection that Raridon -- who was a one-year starter with 48 career receptions and three touchdowns -- continues to ascend.

Notre Dame offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Mike Denbrock, who has been a football coach for four-plus decades, is among those who like the chances of that happening and puts the 22-year-old Raridon in rare company.

"Eli has been conducting himself, for a long period of time, with the type of attitude and structure and understanding of living a professional life as anybody I've ever been around," Denbrock, 62, told ESPN this week. "That's going to pay big dividends going to the next step."

Raridon's maturity and athletic gifts, including his height (6-foot-6, 245 pounds), speed (4.62 in the 40-yard dash), big hands (10¾ inches) and above average wingspan (80 inches), are among the reasons the Patriots had him as the top-rated player on their board when it was time to pick at No. 95.

Raridon was the ninth tight end selected overall, but sources say the Patriots had him ranked considerably higher. Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf referred to Raridon as a "tremendous athlete" while noting "some untapped potential there with only one year of real playing" as scouts saw him "coming into his own through the season."

Denbrock saw it similarly behind the scenes at Notre Dame, which has earned a reputation for producing NFL-caliber players at the position, in part because every primary starting tight end since Anthony Fasano in 2004 has been drafted.

"He just continued to get better and better and better. I think it's something that's been building and leads me to believe his best football is ahead of him, which is exciting," Denbrock said.

"It was really his first opportunity to be the featured guy while he was here at Notre Dame. It was his time to kind of take on the responsibility of that room from a leadership standpoint. Then also from backing it up with an example of the way to play the game at the tight end position in the Notre Dame tradition."

Denbrock observed Raridon growing more comfortable in a leadership role as the season progressed, and because he was most often where he was supposed to be on passing plays, he "really became kind of our young starting quarterback's best friend as the season went along [because] he knew he was someone he could count on."

In the perfect football world for New England, Raridon will initially have the luxury of easing into the mix behind 10-year veteran Hunter Henry and free agent signee Julian Hill, whose forte is a relentless, physical blocker.

Of Raridon's playing style, Wolf said he is an "all-around guy -- probably more of a pass catcher first, but a willing blocker."

Meanwhile, Denbrock said of the players he's coached, he views Raridon as a cross between former Notre Dame tight ends Kyle Rudolph and Tyler Eifert.

Rudolph was "big, strong, physical, imposing as a receiver and good in the run game", while Eifert was "a run-and-catch guy who could hold his own as a run blocker, but really provided explosiveness to the Bengals offense as a guy that could go get the football."

A couple things to note about Raridon:

He overcame a torn right ACL twice, once as a senior in high school and again in his first season at Notre Dame.

The Des Moines, Iowa native has notable football bloodlines. His father, Scott Jr., was an offensive lineman and long-snapper at Notre Dame from 2002-2005, and his grandfather Scott Sr. was a strength coach for the Fighting Irish under Lou Holtz.

Raridon married his high school girlfriend, Anna, in 2025.

"It starts with who he is as a person and his family," Denbrock said of Raridon's maturity. "When I first met him [in 2024], he already operated like a professional. He was very focused on what he wanted to get accomplished and had a plan to make it happen."

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48713940/does-new-england-patriots-rookie-te-eli-raridon-untapped-potential

Reiss suggests that the Pats viewed Raridon as both BPA at 95 and had him graded higher.

TEs who went ahead of Raridon:

16. Kenyon Sadiq
54. Eli Stowers
56. Nate Boerkircher
59. Martin Klein
61. Max Klare
69. Sam Roush
73. Oscar Delp
87. Will Kacmarek

I can easily see like Raridon over Boerkircher, Klein, or Kacmarek, who all went much higher than projected. Not sure about Stowers, Klare, Roush or Delp.

Non-TEs who went after Rarison:

99. Julian Neal, CB
101. Jermod McCoy, CB
104. Kaleb Procter, DT
114. Devin Moore, CB
116. Keionte Scott, DB
120. Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE
122. Mike Washington, RB
126. Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB
138. Kyle Louis, LB/S

I felt at the time tht the Pats reached a bit for Raridon because of the run on TEs, the need at the position, and having no 4th round picks. But Reiss suggests that the Pats had a really high grade on him.

Let's hope they were right.

 

[Water Boy]

Landing Raridon at 95 was huge.

I could easily see him as the 3rd best TE in this Draft.

The more things come into focus the more I think Wolf did a very commendable job with the draft, given our draft position.

I think our top 3 picks will be very solid contributors for years to come.

 

[Rdforty2]

From Mike Reiss' Quick Hits:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48713940/does-new-england-patriots-rookie-te-eli-raridon-untapped-potential

Reiss suggests that the Pats viewed Raridon as both BPA at 95 and had him graded higher.

TEs who went ahead of Raridon:

16. Kenyon Sadiq
54. Eli Stowers
56. Nate Boerkircher
59. Martin Klein
61. Max Klare
69. Sam Roush
73. Oscar Delp
87. Will Kacmarek

I can easily see like Raridon over Boerkircher, Klein, or Kacmarek, who all went much higher than projected. Not sure about Stowers, Klare, Roush or Delp.

Non-TEs who went after Rarison:

99. Julian Neal, CB
101. Jermod McCoy, CB
104. Kaleb Procter, DT
114. Devin Moore, CB
116. Keionte Scott, DB
120. Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE
122. Mike Washington, RB
126. Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB
138. Kyle Louis, LB/S

I felt at the time tht the Pats reached a bit for Raridon because of the run on TEs, the need at the position, and having no 4th round picks. But Reiss suggests that the Pats had a really high grade on him.

Let's hope they were right.

He was a slight reach from pre draft resources for sure. But he was a projected 4th round pick and went 5 picks before the 4th round. As you broke down, I think most of us liked Raridon over those 3 guys that went before him. With so many TE's going, and hes the guy they got at 95, Id actually consider him excellent value with how the draft played out. I believe he was the consensus TE5, maybe 6, and went 9th.

 

[PatsFan2]

From Mike Reiss' Quick Hits:

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/48713940/does-new-england-patriots-rookie-te-eli-raridon-untapped-potential

Reiss suggests that the Pats viewed Raridon as both BPA at 95 and had him graded higher.

TEs who went ahead of Raridon:

16. Kenyon Sadiq
54. Eli Stowers
56. Nate Boerkircher
59. Martin Klein
61. Max Klare
69. Sam Roush
73. Oscar Delp
87. Will Kacmarek

I can easily see like Raridon over Boerkircher, Klein, or Kacmarek, who all went much higher than projected. Not sure about Stowers, Klare, Roush or Delp.

Non-TEs who went after Rarison:

99. Julian Neal, CB
101. Jermod McCoy, CB
104. Kaleb Procter, DT
114. Devin Moore, CB
116. Keionte Scott, DB
120. Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE
122. Mike Washington, RB
126. Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB
138. Kyle Louis, LB/S

I felt at the time tht the Pats reached a bit for Raridon because of the run on TEs, the need at the position, and having no 4th round picks. But Reiss suggests that the Pats had a really high grade on him.

Let's hope they were right.

Raridon had a heck of a lot more production that quite a few guys that went well before him. Boerkircher - Klein - Delp and Will Kacmarek were all REACHES where they were taken.

 

[bakes781]

If Raridon doesn't pan out we can always target this guy next year....

 

[bakes781]

Landing Raridon at 95 was huge.

I could easily see him as the 3rd best TE in this Draft.

The more things come into focus the more I think Wolf did a very commendable job with the draft, given our draft position.

I think our top 3 picks will be very solid contributors for years to come.

Just dont sell me on the idea that we dont draft for need.

 

[Water Boy]

Just dont sell me on the idea that we dont draft for need.

We absolutely do. No argument there. I think the import thing with our top picks is that they were all taken in close range to their consensus big board value and could easily be considered BPA when factoring in positional value. No Cole Strange-esque reaches.

I might argue that Jacas was was a bit of a steal at 55.

 

[One-If-By-Sea]

I might argue that Jacas was was a bit of a steal at 55.

Maybe. We will see. Posters thought Keion White (R2, DL) was a steal a few years back.