6 thoughts on the Patriots drafting Gabe Jacas and Eli Raridon

Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown during a NCAA college football game between Notre Dame and Stanford at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in South Bend. | MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, we ranked the New England Patriots’ roster needs from most to least pressing.

Atop the list, classified as major needs, were three positions: defensive edge, offensive tackle and tight end. The Patriots addressed one of those in the first round, trading up to the 28th spot to select Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu. Then, on Day 2, they took care of the others.

The edge was the first to be addressed, with Illinois’ Gabe Jacas joining after another trade up to the 55th spot in the second round. In the late third, at pick No. 95, the Patriots finally added their tight end by picking Eli Raridon out of Note Dame.

We have already taken a deep dive into both of those selections , so now, let’s clean out the notebook before officially turning the page to Day 3. Patriots keep following the blueprint The Patriots’ three draft picks so far all have something in common, and it connects them with last year’s early-round draft choices as well: all of them are still relatively young, but they all bring considerable experience to the table. Caleb Lomu is 21, but he started 24 combined games over the last two seasons at Utah; Gabe Jacas is also 21 but enters the NFL with 50 games and 43 starts under his belt; Eli Raridon turned 22 in February, and despite only being a one-year starter still has played 40 games with 18 starts.