Patriots Add Eli Raridon As TE Depth
The New England Patriots selected Notre Dame TE Eli Raridon in Round 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft. Son of former Notre Dame OL Scott Raridon, Eli was a four-star recruit who followed his Dad’s footsteps to the Fighting Irish. Raridon suffered knee injuries in both his first and second season at Notre Dame. He served in a reserve role behind Mitchell Evans in 2024, but stayed fully healthy. He took over the starting job in 2025, going 32-482-0. He shows a combination of blocking and receiving prowess that could turn into fantasy upside. Among the 27 TEs invited to the NFL Combine, Raridon ranked ninth in 2025 aDOT (8.1), and eighth in team market share of receiving yards (19.6%). He ranked fourth in 2025 receiving yards per team pass attempt (1.8) and third in receiving yards per route run (2.23). He is currently 22 years old.
