Eli Raridon is wasting no time making noise in Patriots camp.
The former Notre Dame tight end has become one of the early standouts in New England, enough that people around the team are already talking about a rookie who could carve out real playing time right away. According to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald, Raridon caught three touchdowns in Friday’s 7-on-7 work and added another reception during 11-on-11 periods. He’s also been operating as the Patriots’ No. 2 tight end behind Hunter Henry, which puts him in position to see the field regularly in his first season.
Drake Maye has noticed, and the Patriots’ starting quarterback sounds genuinely impressed.
“He’s a big dude, first off, that can run. I mean, that’s pretty cool, and he’s smart,” Maye said Friday.
“He went to Notre Dame. And I know he’s another guy that, you know, half-ACC, half not, but we like to call ourselves smart in the ACC.”
Maye, who played at North Carolina, kept the conference banter rolling, but the bigger point was clear: Raridon has already shown enough to earn trust. Maye said the rookie understands the position, can handle both tight end spots, and has been making plays with the ball in the air.
“So, he understands positions. He understands how to play both positions at the tight end spot, and I think he’s making plays on the football. That’s what you want to see from a young guy, and he’s putting the work in.”
Maye also pointed to the way Raridon handles the grind of camp.
“That’s the biggest thing with a young rookie. You want to see him go out there and take a rep when he’s tired, and not kind of call for himself.
And he’s doing all the things the right way, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he does throughout camp. And he’s been a great player for us and a great dude.”
Backup quarterback Tomm DeVito has seen the same thing from the rookie tight end.
“Have you seen him? That’s a big target.
I bet you’d want to throw to him too,” DeVito said. “I mean, he’s big, he’s athletic, his confidence is growing.
Trying to get more savvy with the offense, like as it’s going. But that comes with time and how many reps he gets.”
Raridon’s rise is especially notable because New England brought in veteran tight end Julian Hill earlier in the offseason to ease the transition for the rookie. Hill suffered a torn ACL and now holds the No. 2 tight end job behind Hunter Henry.
If Raridon keeps stacking days like this, the Patriots may end up with a rookie story they didn’t exactly plan on. His path to the NFL was a long one, marked by two ACL injuries at Notre Dame before he finally broke through in 2025 with 32 catches for 482 yards. That production, along with his athletic profile, made him a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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