Patriots Linked To Drafting 4-TD TE As Potential Hunter Henry Replacement

New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry

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The New England Patriots could look to draft their tight end of the future in the 2026 NFL Draft.

New England’s starting tight end is Hunter Henry, but he’s entering the final year of his contract, so his future with the Patriots is up in the air. With that, the Patriots could look to draft a tight end to learn from Henry for a year and potentially take over as the starter in 2027.

Ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, Patriots insider Chad Graff of The Athletic believes the team could draft Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers in the second or third round.

“As we did at edge rusher, it’s important to consider what the Patriots already have at tight end when thinking about who they might draft at the position,” Graff wrote in an article published on Wednesday. “Using a Day 2 pick there would make a lot of sense. Hunter Henry has just one year remaining on his contract. The Pats gave free agent Julian Hill a three-year contract. And where does Hill thrive? As a blocker.

"So the Patriots could use more of a true pass catcher at tight end, someone who can create mismatches out of 12 personnel. Stowers could be just that. He’s a bit undersized (239 pounds), but his athletic testing was incredible (including a 45 1/2-inch vertical leap). He was a highly recruited quarterback before shoulder injuries forced a move to tight end, but he became a reliable receiver at Vanderbilt.”