The Patriots’ tight end depth chart has turned into one of those rooms where the names are there, but the answers aren’t.
Hunter Henry is the clear headliner. After that, New England’s plans have been scrambled by Julian Hill’s knee injury, which head coach Mike Vrabel called “devastating” and sent Hill to season-ending injured reserve.
That opened the door for UDFA Tanner Arkin to make the roster over C.J. Dippre and Jack Westover, but Arkin hasn’t looked especially comfortable in the role.
The Patriots also claimed Cameron Latu off waivers from the Eagles, yet the former 2023 third-round pick out of Alabama still hasn’t caught his first NFL pass. His value has come more on special teams, where he was solid and blocked a punt last season.
So while Henry remains a real starter, the rest of the room is a mix of uncertainty and upside that hasn’t quite shown up yet. That kind of setup can create opportunity somewhere else - and for New England, that somewhere else might be the practice squad.
Shane Zylstra is the name to watch.
The Patriots added the 29-year-old tight end to their practice squad after roster cuts, and he brings a different kind of resume. Zylstra entered the league in 2021 as a UDFA from Minnesota State, spent that preseason with the Vikings, and then landed with the Lions.
During that stretch, he caught 18 passes for 136 yards and four touchdowns. The Bills brought him in this offseason, but he didn’t crack their roster.
He’s not a typical tight end build, either. Zylstra played wide receiver in college and has packed on more than 30 pounds to his 6-foot-4 frame to make the switch. That move has kept him in the league for more than half a decade, and it could now give him a path onto the field in New England.
His recent work has mostly come in the dirty jobs: blocking and special teams. Over the last two seasons, Zylstra has been used sparingly on offense, and all four of his career touchdowns came in 2022. In 19 games across those two seasons, he logged 293 special teams snaps, or 15.4 per game.
That matters in a tight end room where the depth behind Henry is still very much unsettled. If Eli Raridon can’t handle the No. 2 role early, the Patriots may eventually want a steadier blocking option than Latu or Arkin. Zylstra’s path could open there, especially with his overlap with assistant coach Terrell Williams from Detroit.
New England doesn’t look like it needs another tight end at first glance. But this group is more about quantity than quality right now, and that gives Zylstra a real shot. If he puts together a few solid weeks, he could end up beating out Latu or Arkin as the blocking presence the Patriots lean on later in the season.
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