What drafting Eli Raridon in Round 3 means for the Patriots

Inline size with speed for the seams

At 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, Raridon played 66 percent of his snaps as an inline tight end for Notre Dame last fall while also frequenting the slot. That matches up with the athletic testing as a do-it-all “Y” piece for Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’ puzzle.

Raridon ran the 40-yard dash in 4.62 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine. Carrying a basketball background, he added a vertical of 36 inches and a 10-foot-3 broad jump during his visit to Lucas Oil Stadium. That explosiveness should test off-ball linebackers down the seams. Those marks resulted in a 9.46 Relative Athletic Score to rank 81 out of 1,471 tight ends tested dating back to 1987.

Well-regarded as a blocker, and with 32 3/4-inch arms to extend in the running game, he put up 20 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.

Developing a third tight end

The Patriots had filled out draft cards for five tight ends dating back to 2015. After AJ Derby, Ryan Izzo, Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene and Jaheim Bell combined to appear in 53 games for the organization, it was time to turn back to the position.

And at No. 95 overall, there was a Notre Dame product to go forward with.

On a veteran depth chart, Raridon projects as the third option as a rookie. But a third option needed to be developed before it became a need. Hunter Henry turned 31 in December and enters the final year of his latest contract extension carrying an $11.75 million cap number. Behind the tenured captain, who caught a team-high seven touchdowns last season, New England’s room includes run-blocking March signing Julian Hill and 2025 undrafted arrivals C.J. Dippre and Marshall Lang.

Raridon took a “30” visit to Gillette Stadium.