Hunter Henry looking to pay it forward mentoring rookie Eli Raridon

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 11: Hunter Henry #85 of the New England Patriots celebrates after scoring a touchdown during an NFL wild card playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium on January 11, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) | Getty Images Hunter Henry knows what it’s like to be a Day 2 draft pick. After being selected 35th overall in the 2016 NFL Draft by the then-San Diego Chargers, Henry joined a tight end room that featured future Hall of Famer Antonio Gates and veteran Sean McGrath.

Sharing that room proved to be a valuable experience early in his career. Now, with the Patriots selecting tight end Eli Raridon on Day 2 of this year’s draft, Henry hopes to pay it forward now as the veteran. “I’m always trying to be a leader.

I had some good vets when I was young, obviously, with Antonio Gates and some guys like Sean McGrath is another guy that comes to mind,” Henry said on Tuesday. “Those guys really helped me come along. Sometimes it wasn’t even what they said.

It was just watching how they process things and how they went about their business, and handling everything. It really taught me what was to kind of be in this league. “So really, hopefully [Raridon] can come alongside and just watch that process.