The 2026 offseason for the New England Patriots promised to be a challenging one, and it has been. Several key areas need upgrading if the team that got to the Super Bowl and lost can reverse that fate in 2026.
Mike Vrabel was acutely aware of that fact and set about bolstering several positions, including wide receiver, the offensive line, the edge, and tight end.
Vrabel has had mixed results, but one position he clearly set about to improve was the tight end. He did so ostensibly by signing a top blocking tight end, Julian Hill, in free agency. He also used his third-round pick on tight end Eli Raridon.
NBC Sports' Phil Perry is citing numbers Patriot Nation should be aware of this offseason, and one of them is No. 16, which concerns the tight end position and the Patriots' rookie tight end.
The Patriots still have plenty of upgrades to make in their tight end room
Vrabel's plans for the tight end position were upended by an unfortunate injury to the aforementioned Hill, which will sideline him all season. While Hill's forte is blocking, his contributions to the running game at least will be sorely missed.
That injury leaves only veteran Hunter Henry and rookie Eli Raridon, along with a few other lesser candidates, to man the position. It's hardly an ideal situation.
The No. 16 and the Patriots' tight end position are linked by Perry this way.
"It’s been 16 years since the Patriots drafted Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, which is the last time they drafted a tight end who made meaningful NFL contributions. Just look at this list: Jaheim Bell, Devin Asiasi, Dalton Keene, Ryan Izzo, AJ Derby, and Lee Smith.
But now the Patriots have rookie tight end Eli Raridon out of Notre Dame. What are the odds they’ve struck gold with their Golden Domer, and have a homegrown tight end to complement Hunter Henry?"
The Patriots' tight end draft success since 2010, when Gronkowski entered the scene, has been non-existent. It's littered with flops, the highest-drafted of which were two third-round picks in 2020, Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene. Neither could play.
All those mentioned by Perry were Bill Belichick's picks, and now Vrabel has plunged into the draft and used a third-rounder himself, on Eli Raridon from Notre Dame.
Interestingly, Perry asks whether the Patriots have "struck gold" with Raridon. It's a solid question, as a lot of pressure now resides on Raridon's shoulders with the Hill injury bumping him up to second on the depth chart. Vrabel needs to trade for a young veteran tight end, and if he doesn't, the heat will rise for Raridon until opening day and beyond.
The Notre Dame product has been no wunderkind catching the ball for the Fighting Irish. In 2025, he caught only 33 passes for 482 yards and didn't haul in a touchdown pass. Those were by far the top numbers in his college career.
And while the big, 6'6", 245-pound Raridon may be able to handle his blocking assignments, whether he can add to Drake Maye's receiving corps is totally in question.
Vrabel shouldn't allow the kind of pressure that will be on the rookie to persist. He needs to make a deal for a young veteran tight end. Additionally, any injury to Henry, putting Raridon in the top spot, could be devastating to the offense's versatility.
The Patriots' current tight end situation is perilous. They have 31-year-old veteran Henry and rookie Raridon manning the top two spots and little else. It's hardly enough, and if Vrabel foolishly fails to act soon to remedy this situation, it could be a season-long headache for him, Drake Maye, and the 2026 Patriots.
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