Twitter reacts to Patriots drafting TE Eli Raridon at No. 95 overall
The Patriots addressed one of their biggest needs heading into the draft by selecting Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon.
After addressing offensive tackle and edge rusher with their first two picks, the New England Patriots used their third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on another glaring weakness on Friday. And with the No. 95 overall pick of the draft, the Patriots selected Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon .
A move at tight end was expected with Hunter Henry being 31 years old and playing in the final year of his contract. The Patriots also lost veteran Austin Hooper in free agency to the Atlanta Falcons. Not only did they need a player capable of stepping in and contributing right away, but they needed one talented enough to take the reins from Henry at some point.
Raridon has all of the makings of being the right man for that job. He's deceptively fast for his size at 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds. In his final year at Notre Dame, he hauled in 32 receptions for 482 yards.
He saw a massive improvement as a blocker as well, developing into a well-rounded tight end prospect. Some felt like the pick was the perfect match for the Patriots, while others would have liked to see the team keep the focus on the defensive side of the ball. Here are some of the social media reactions to the Day 2 draft pick: Thoughts on Eli Raridon to the Patriots (spoilers: I love it) pic.