
The New England Patriots may draft a tight end in the 2026 NFL Draft as a potential replacement for Hunter Henry, who is in the final year of his contract.
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry
Patriots Linked To Drafting 4-TD TE As Potential Hunter Henry Replacement originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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.”
The specific tight end linked to the Patriots as a potential replacement has not been named in the article.
Hunter Henry is entering the final year of his contract with the New England Patriots.
The Patriots could expect a new tight end to potentially take over as the starter in 2027.


Chargers GM Joe Hortiz shuts down trade rumors about Quentin Johnston.
Brock Bowers aims to return to TE1 status in 2026 with the Raiders.

George Foreman chose Sioux City, Iowa, for his burial site.
Bucs GM Jason Licht opens up about the tough task of drafting edge rushers.
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
Stowers could be a rotational player in his rookie season and get comfortable in the offense before potentially becoming the starter in 2027.
At Vanderbilt, Stowers was one of Diego Paiva’s favorite targets as he recorded 62 receptions for 769 yards and four touchdowns last season.
The Patriots could very well use the 63rd overall pick on Stowers, or they could look to trade up earlier in the third round to select the Vanderbilt tight end.
The 2026 NFL Draft is set for April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.
More NFL: Patriots Mock Draft 2026: 7-Round Edition Brings Top OT, WR to New England