Veteran playmaker speaks highly of newest Patriots rookie seam threat

The New England Patriots draft room was an active one this offseason, with nine players selected and a pair of trade-ups in the first two rounds. For the ninth straight season, the Patriots owned more draft picks than there are rounds, and seventh-round pick Quintayvious Hutchins became Mike Vrabel's 20th draft pick in only two seasons.

While the later rounds can fetch solid role players, the first three rounds are where GMs tend to make their money. Last season, the Patriots selected a pair of starting offensive linemen, a running back who had over 1,100 total yards, and a three-touchdown receiver in the top 100.

In April, New England added three more top 100 talents to their roster. They traded up for Caleb Lomu and Gabe Jacas in the first two rounds, while they stood pat at No. 95 in the third.

For the second straight season, New England held the right to the 95th pick, and they opted for Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon this time around.

Eli Raridon receives high praise from veteran Hunter Henry ahead of rookie season

Originally, it appeared Raridon would see a limited role in his rookie season, with both Hunter Henry and Julian Hill, who signed a three-year deal as a free agent, ahead of him on the depth chart. Hill, however, was placed on IR on June 1, ending his inagural season with the team before it even began. Now, the former Fighting Irish seam threat is expected to see a far higher snap count.

Henry is coming off the best year of his career, with his 60 catches totaling 768 yards and 7 touchdowns. He had nine catches for 112 yards and a touchdown across four postseason games, with his touchdown being the only one of the game in a gritty 16-3 game against the Chargers in the wildcard round.

Despite his 2025 success, Henry is in the final year of his deal and turns 32 during the season. Raridon offers a superior receiving threat to Hill or Jack Westover, and Henry is excited about the rookie's future for good reason.

Henry's hyping up of his prospective replacement speaks volumes to his character. 2026 is likely to be the fourth straight year Henry is named a team captain. It would be the fifth time in his career, and last season with Vrabel marked his fourth coach as a captain (Lynn, Belichick, Mayo, Vrabel).

Last season, Austin Hooper nabbed 21 balls for 263 yards and a pair of touchdowns while playing second fiddle to Henry. While his stats were modest, he saw significant snaps. He played at least 51% of snaps in ten games last season, and eclipsed the 60% mark in four games. Given Raridon's blocking ability and height, he could see a similar snap count early on.

While we still have a ways to go until the regular season begins, the thought of a top 100 rookie being a key seam threat for the team is no doubt something to look forward to.

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