New England Patriots
Raridon, a 6-foot-6 tight finish, additionally had a standout basketball profession in highschool earlier than knee accidents sprouted up.
The New England Patriots addressed one other space of want within the third spherical of the 2026 NFL Draft, deciding on Notre Dame tight finish Eli Raridon with the 95th pick on Friday evening.
A one-year starter with the Combating Irish, Raridon reeled in 32 catches for 482 yards in 2025 at Notre Dame, ending third on the group in each receptions and receiving yards.
Raridon gives some upside to a Patriots tight finish room in want of recent blood — particularly with veteran Hunter Henry coming into the ultimate 12 months of his contract.
Listed below are 5 issues to find out about New England’s new tight finish:
Raridon’s baseline stats at Notre Dame don’t precisely leap off the web page — with the imposing tight finish closing out his collegiate profession in South Bend with 623 receiving yards and simply three whole touchdowns in 40 video games.
However with a prospect like Raridon, the Patriots are banking on upside and athleticism with a good finish who may become an explosive pass-catcher and bodily blocker.
The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Raridon examined very effectively within the lead-up to the 2026 NFL Draft — rating within the 81st percentile within the 40-yard sprint (4.62 seconds), 81st percentile within the vertical leap (36 inches), 88th percentile within the broad leap (10 ft, 3 inches), and ninety fifth percentile with 10.75-inch palms, per NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry.
Raridon’s pace and measurement may make him an intriguing deep menace for Drake Maye in due time, with the Notre Dame tight finish averaging 15.1 yards per catch throughout his senior season — rating fourth amongst Energy 5 tight ends in yards per reception in 2025, per East-West Shrine Bowl director of football operations Eric Galko.
“[He’s] a extremely, actually good employee, has numerous expertise. 6-6, 245,” Patriots govt vice chairman of participant personnel Eliot Wolf mentioned of Raridon late Friday evening. “Examined extremely effectively and once more, just a few untapped potential there with solely the one 12 months of actual enjoying [time].”
He’s had damage woes prior to now.
One of many explanation why Raridon’s improvement at Notre Dame stalled for his first few seasons was rooted in some dangerous luck on the damage entrance.
Within the span of lower than a 12 months, he tore the ACL in his proper knee twice — whereas enjoying two totally different sports activities.
In December 2021, Raridon tore his ACL while playing basketball in his senior 12 months at Valley Excessive Faculty in West Des Moines, Iowa. Simply 4 months after such a extreme damage, he was already again to working routes on the gridiron, with the gifted soccer prospect crediting his quick recovery to a hamstring-grafting procedure.
However Raridon’s freshman season with the Combating Irish was lower quick attributable to an identical damage, as he re-tore his ACL in the identical knee throughout a apply, having performed in simply 5 video games in the beginning of his collegiate profession.
Raridon finally returned halfway via his sophomore season — catching 5 passes for 51 yards and a landing through the 2023 marketing campaign.
Regardless of the run of misfortune, Wolf pressured on Friday evening that New England had “no actual considerations” over the state of Raridon’s knee shifting ahead.
Raridon is a second-generation soccer participant at Notre Dame, as his father, Scott Jr., performed each offensive line and lengthy snapper for the Combating Irish from 2002-05. Throughout his tenure in South Bend, Scott Jr. performed for each Tyrone Willingham and former Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis — and blocked for Notre Dame standout QB Brady Quinn.
Eli Raridon was born within the spring of his father’s sophomore season at Notre Dame.
Eli’s grandfather, Scott Sr., performed faculty soccer at Nebraska from 1981-83 before taking on a job as a strength and conditioning coach at Notre Dame in the late ‘80s — serving on Lou Holtz’s employees through the Combating Irish’s national-championship season in 1988.
He was a gifted highschool basketball participant.
Much like Drake Maye, Raridon was additionally a standout basketball participant throughout his highschool days.
“I at all times liked enjoying hoops. Performed AAU since [I was] 11 or 12 years previous,” Raridon told NFL reporter Jordan Schultz. “Didn’t have the perfect three-point shot, however I used to be actually good at taking it to the ring, and as my physique began to develop, I may begin dunking on individuals.
“I actually didn’t develop into the basketball participant I used to be till junior, senior 12 months — my expertise have been at an all-time excessive. Might deal with the ball, I may shoot the rock just a little bit. I really feel like I may have performed Division I someplace.
“However realistically taking a look at it, I wasn’t a 50-percent three-point shooter. Six-foot-six, type of quick. Acquired to be a taking pictures guard. Soccer was the trail for me, and that was the perfect future.”
According to Dane Brugler of The Athletic, Raridon earned second-team all-state honors as a junior energy ahead, averaging 17.5 factors per recreation.
Chatting with reporters on Friday, Raridon mentioned that his basketball background has helped him on the soccer discipline.
“Basketball was at all times a part of my life rising up,” Raridon mentioned. “I really feel prefer it actually helped me be in higher management of my physique, going up and high-pointing the ball, issues like that.”
He fashions his recreation after a Professional Bowl tight finish.
Whereas speaking to reporters on Friday evening, Raridon mentioned that he fashions his recreation after San Francisco 49ers All-Professional tight finish George Kittle.
“I’ve checked out George Kittle lots,” Raridon mentioned. “Simply love how he can do each issues extraordinarily effectively. Love the best way he blocks. Love his mentality whereas enjoying the sport, and clearly, he makes nice performs within the passing recreation as effectively. And that’s somebody who I attempt to embody my recreation after.”
Kittle’s physique of labor speaks for itself throughout his profession within the Bay Space. However Kittle wasn’t precisely a productive tight finish throughout his collegiate profession — catching 48 passes for 737 yards over his 4 seasons at Iowa earlier than San Francisco chosen him within the fifth spherical of the 2017 NFL Draft.
The Patriots are hoping that Raridon follows an identical trajectory as a gifted tight finish whose manufacturing blossomed after making the leap to the NFL ranks.
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