Ever since Tom Brady left the Patriots after the 2019 season, the organization has found it nearly impossible to replicate the kind of talent not just the quarterback brought to the team, but also that of some of the biggest names of the dynasty era.
Making things worse was the decision to move on from every player who spent time on the team with Brady, creating a clean slate with no real superstars left.
There are some players who have made names for themselves over the last few years, like cornerback Christian Gonzalez, and we've seen that Drake Maye is on his way to being a household name sooner rather than later. And now the quarterback might soon have a star to work with on offense, at least according to longtime Patriots' backup Brian Hoyer.
He said as much ahead of this weekend's draft when speaking about who the Patriots eventually selected in the third round, tight end Eli Raridon, comparing him to the legendary Rob Gronkowski in terms of his size and blocking abilities.
Those are big shoes to fill for the rookie, but it's an impressive comp for the newest Patriot, and he was more than thrilled to be compared to the greatest of all time.
Eli Raridon is a big fan of Brian Hoyer's comparison to Rob Gronkowski
Now that he is officially the Patriots' newest tight end, it's cooler to see Raridon react to what Hoyer had to say about his game being like Gronkowski's.
If he can bring that kind of production to New England, it will make him an even better draft pick than anyone initially thought.
#Patriots rookie TE Eli Raridon on Brian Hoyer comparing him to Rob Gronkowski:
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) April 25, 2026
“Of course [I like that comp]. Gronk’s one of the GOATs... He’s one of my favorite players growing up to watch. To be compared to him, that’s a huge honor.”
(🎥 @UpAndAdamsShow) | @bhoyer7 pic.twitter.com/6UKoNB047W
The immediate smile on his face when Kay Adams asks for his thoughts on what Hoyer had to say tells you everything, because how could it not?
Gronkowski is arguably the best tight end in NFL history, and while it's a massive compliment and puts a lot of pressure on his shoulders to live up to the comparison, it must certainly be incredible to hear coming from someone who has experienced as much in the NFL as Hoyer has.
It's even better now that he's joining the Patriots, so hopefully, he can show us exactly why Hoyer sees the legend in his game.
Add us as a preferred source on Google