Patriots Sign 6-Foot-4 UDFA Tight End, Illinois Team Captain
The New England Patriots signed UDFA Tanner Arkin.
Patriots Sign 6-Foot-4 UDFA Tight End, Illinois Team Captain originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The New England Patriots got busy quickly on the undrafted free agent market following the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft.
They brought in four pass catchers from varying levels of college football. But when it came time to find a tight end, the Patriots front office went to the Big 10 and landed Illinois Fighting Illini team captain Tanner Arkin. #illini TE Tanner Arkin is signing an undrafted free agent deal with the New England Patriots, per a source.
pic. twitter. com/eCt4uTsCnR ā Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) April 26, 2026 Arkin is not exactly a threat in the passing game.
In five collegiate seasons, Arkin finished with just 351 total yards and six touchdowns. He started his career at Colorado State University, but transferred to Illinois as a junior. He was clearly thought of very highly in Champaign, as he was named team captain in each of his final two seasons with the Illini.