Detroit Lions NFL Draft Injury Report: Notre Dame TE Eli Raridon

Q: What is Eli Raridon's injury history?

Eli Raridon has a history of ACL injuries, which raises concerns about his durability and performance.

Q: Why do the Detroit Lions need a tight end in the NFL Draft?

The Lions need a tight end due to health concerns regarding Sam LaPorta and the absence of signed players beyond 2026.

Q: How might Eli Raridon fit into the Lions' draft strategy?

Eli Raridon could be targeted in the mid-rounds of the draft as a potential solution to the Lions' tight end needs.

The TE position is a sneaky need for the Lions given Sam LaPorta's health and the lack of any players signed beyond 2026. The mid-rounds might be a target to pick up a TE like Eli Raridon. However, he has an ACL history that carries concerns.

Here is the excerpt from my medical report on Raridon:

(Ages in parentheses are at start of 2026 season and are factored into the concern level. Injury info and ages based on available public information are unverified and subject to update. Games played data courtesy of sports-reference.com.)

Eli Raridon, TE (22) - Notre Dame

Projected round 4-5 . Ran 4.62 40 at combine. Matt Miller’s #137 overall player.

Concern level 5/10

2025: 12/12 games
2024: 16/16 games
2023: 7/13 games. Missed first 6 games still recovering from ACL.
2022: 5/13 games. Two ACL tears in 10 months.

ACL’s usually don’t carry much if any long-term concern, but having two ACL tears raises concern for a predisposition to the injury. Raridon has shown perfect availability in his final two seasons which is reassuring.

He finished with 48 receptions for 623 yards in college.

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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Detroit Lions NFL Draft Injury Report: Notre Dame TE Eli Raridon