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Hunter Henry Looking More Like a Matchup Play in 2026
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry is coming off one of his best seasons, but the setup is tougher this time around. Henry caught 60 of 87 targets for a career-high 768 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025, finishing as a top-seven fantasy tight end. The role itself is safe. New England agreed to a two-year extension with him this month, Julian Hill is out for the season, and third-round rookie Eli Raridon is still behind him. The issue is everything the Patriots added outside. A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs joined a receiver room that also has DeMario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte, so another 87 targets are harder to bank on. Henry has still been involved in camp and was the offensive standout at the August 3 practice. RotoBaller ranks him TE18 and 150th overall in PPR. He can absolutely have useful weeks with Drake Maye, especially near the goal line, but the weekly volume looks shakier than it did a year ago. He's more of a late TE2 or matchup option than someone to count on every week.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Eli Raridon in Line for "Meaningful" Role as a Rookie
New England Patriots rookie tight end Eli Raridon is "set for a meaningful role" as the team's No. 2 tight end option behind veteran Hunter Henry, according to Chad Graff of The Athletic. A third-round pick out of Notre Dame, Raridon recorded 32 catches for 482 yards across 12 games with the Fighting Irish in 2025. At the time he was drafted, Raridon looked like the third tight end on the Patriots' depth chart. However, a season-ending knee injury for tight end Julian Hill (knee) has pushed Raridon into a more prominent role. While Henry profiles as New England's clear top receiving option at the position, he's entering his age-32 season. Particularly in dynasty formats, Raridon's stock is rising ahead of his rookie year.
Source: The Athletic - Chad Graff
Source: The Athletic - Chad Graff
Mike Vrabel Impressed By Eli Raridon's Improvement as a Blocker
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is impressed with rookie tight end Eli Raridon's improvement as a blocker, according to Patriots beat reporter Taylor Kyles. Raridon continues to have an impressive training camp and was taking snaps with the first-team offense. The Patriots selected Raridon in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft and is set to be New England's No. 2 tight end behind Hunter Henry. The 22-year-old has shown flashes in camp and could be a key contributor this season. Henry did sign a two-year extension with the Patriots this offseason, so dynasty managers might have to wait a few years before they see Raridon as the team's starting tight end. Raridon could force his way onto the field, and his stock in dynasty and redraft is rising as he continues to have an impressive training camp.
Source: Taylor Kyles
Source: Taylor Kyles
Hunter Henry's Role Still Makes Him a Late-Round Target
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry keeps giving fantasy managers reasons not to forget about him. He caught 60 passes for a career-high 768 yards and seven touchdowns last season, finishing as the TE7 in half-PPR, and New England just gave him a two-year extension worth a reported $16 million. That matters, but so does what has happened on the field. Henry was the standout player in the Patriots' Aug. 3 practice, and he still sits at the top of a tight end room that includes third-round rookie Eli Raridon. Raridon has flashed in camp and should have a role, especially with New England using plenty of multi-tight end looks, but the Patriots have treated him more like Henry's eventual successor than an immediate replacement. There is more competition for targets after the additions of A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, so another TE7 finish is hardly a lock. Still, Henry has already shown he can produce with Drake Maye and remains RotoBaller's TE16. For managers who wait at tight end, he is one of the better late-round options still sitting outside the position's top tier.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Hunter Henry an Undervalued Late-Round Tight End
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry recorded a career-high 768 receiving yards in 2025, with his seven touchdowns the highest total since his first season in New England in 2021. His career-year resulted in a TE7 finish and helped earn him the two-year, $16 million extension he signed on Sunday. The Patriots signed veteran Julian Hill in free agency before drafting Eli Raridon in the third round of the NFL Draft, signaling a willingness to feature the tight end position in 2026, and while Hill has since suffered a season-ending ACL tear, the team may have found his replacement in undrafted free agent Tanner Arkin. The Patriots have deployed multi-tight end sets throughout training camp, with Henry consistently making big plays down the seam while showcasing a strengthening chemistry with quarterback Drake Maye. After top 12 fantasy finishes in each of the past two seasons, Henry is being drafted as the TE16 in 2026, making him a strong second tight end option to help navigate early-season matchups.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Eli Raridon Continues to Take More Snaps with the First Team
New England Patriots tight end Eli Raridon continues to see action with the first team offense. The Pats are having joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts, and Raridon is still playing with the first team, according to the Boston Herald. The 22-year-old was a third-round pick of the Pats this year out of Notre Dame. He's going to remain behind Hunter Henry to begin the season, but that isn't going to last forever. Given his success early in camp, Raridon is looking like a solid stash in dynasty and keeper leagues, but is someone who can be ignored in redraft formats with Henry ahead of him right now.
Source: Boston Herald
Source: Boston Herald
Mike Vrabel Avoids Question Regarding Offseason Scandal
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel sidestepped a question at training camp practice on Tuesday when asked about the counseling session that caused him to miss the third day of the 2026 NFL draft in April, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "I think we always look at improvement," Vrabel said. "As we talk about getting ready for the next season, we always look at improvement and ways that we can improve individually and how we can improve as a team. It's really critical that we continue to do that on and off the field. I believe in that." It's one of the few questions directed at Vrabel this summer that deals with the aftermath of the offseason controversy involving him and former ESPN/The Athletic reporter Dianna Russini. Florio suggests that the controversy is still hovering over Vrabel, and it could move back to the front burner if the Patriots struggle out of the gates in 2026 after reaching the Super Bowl last season.
Source: Pro Football Talk - Mike Florio
Source: Pro Football Talk - Mike Florio
Hunter Henry Signs Two-Year Extension with Patriots
Veteran tight end Hunter Henry and the New England Patriots have agreed on a two-year extension that will keep him with the team through his age-34 season, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport. Henry signed with the Patriots in 2021, and the new deal increases the likelihood that he finishes his career in New England. The 11th-year pro caught 60 passes in 2025 for a career-high 768 yards, and he's become a favorite target for quarterback Drake Maye. While the Patriots spent a Day 2 pick on rookie Eli Raridon, and the addition of A.J. Brown could add touchdown competition in the red zone, those concerns are thoroughly baked into Henry's draft cost, giving him a chance to once more surpass ADP expectations as the 16th tight end off the board after top 12 finishes in each of the past two seasons.
Source: Ian Rapoport
Source: Ian Rapoport
Eli Raridon Continues to Flash in New England's Offense
New England Patriots rookie tight end Eli Raridon has been flashing early on during training camp and made another catch in team drills on Friday from quarterback Tommy DeVito on a corner/stop route, according to Evan Lazar of the team's official website. Raridon once again found the soft spot between defenders and finished strong at the catch point. The 22-year-old third-rounder from Notre Dame said that things are slowing down for him already this summer compared to back in the spring, and he's doing all the right things so far to become a contributor in the Pats' ascending offense in his first year in the NFL. Hunter Henry is still New England's unquestioned No. 1 pass-catching tight end who has strong chemistry with quarterback Drake Maye, though, which will undoubtedly limit Raridon's fantasy football upside in Year 1. But there's no denying that Raridon has the size (6-foot-6, 245 pounds) and physicality to be a strong downfield, pass-catching presence for fantasy managers in the future. Raridon's draft stock in both single-year and dynasty/keeper leagues is on the rise this summer.
Source: Patriots.com - Evan Lazar
Source: Patriots.com - Evan Lazar
Things are Slowing Down for Rookie Tight End Eli Raridon
New England Patriots rookie third-round tight end Eli Raridon said at training camp on Thursday that things are slowing down for him, according to Mark Daniels of MassLive.com. Raridon said it has been night and day from the spring. Even though the Patriots still have Hunter Henry as their top pass-catching tight end, and after they added receivers A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs in the offseason, Raridon could make an impact as a receiver in 2026 in his first year in the NFL. The 22-year-old should be considered the favorite for TE2 duties with Julian Hill (knee) already ruled out for the season. He needs to refine his blocking skills, but Raridon is certainly a young TE name to keep an eye on for those in deep fantasy leagues in 2026. Raridon has excellent size (6-foot-6, 245 pounds), athleticism, and speed to give New England another weapon to challenge opposing defenses down the field. He doesn't come without durability concerns, though, having already torn his ACL twice. Raridon is a fine TE to stash in dynasty/keeper leagues, but he can be ignored for now in most redraft formats.
Source: MassLive.com - Mark Daniels
Source: MassLive.com - Mark Daniels
Eli Raridon "Flashing" as a Pass-Catcher
New England Patriots beat writer Taylor Kyles reports that rookie tight end Eli Raridon is "flashing" as a receiver early in training camp. He had impressive catches on a contested target and settled between zones over the middle during practice on Tuesday. The 22-year-old third-rounder from Notre Dame comes to the Patriots after catching 32 passes for 482 yards and zero touchdowns in 12 games for the Fighting Irish in 2025 in his final collegiate season. The 6-foot-6, 245-pounder will back up Hunter Henry in his first NFL season, but Raridon has the potential to contribute right away in Josh McDaniels' offense now that Julian Hill (knee) will miss the entire season. Raridon will go undrafted in standard-sized redraft leagues in 2026, but his combination of athleticism, pass-catching skills, and size makes him an interesting dynasty/keeper stash at the position. If Raridon can improve his blocking in his first year in the NFL, more playing time should come sooner rather than later. He's a rookie name to monitor at the TE position.
Source: Taylor Kyles
Source: Taylor Kyles
Hunter Henry Making Highlight-Reel Catches in Camp
Mark Daniels of MassLive.com reports that New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry made a highlight-reel grab during training camp practice on Tuesday, jumping over defender Kevin Byard and then crashing to the ground for a big gain on a deep connection with quarterback Drake Maye. The 31-year-old veteran and former second-rounder (35th overall) by the Chargers in 2016 from the University of Arkansas is still New England's top pass-catching TE going into 2026, despite the addition of rookie Eli Raridon in this year's draft. Henry had a strong 2025 season (his fifth year with the Pats), catching 60 of his 87 targets for 768 yards and seven touchdowns (his most since 2021) in 17 regular-season starts. At the very worst, Henry should be considered a midrange TE2 while developing excellent chemistry with Maye, although his floor and ceiling could be lowered in 2026 after the offseason additions of receivers A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. With limited volume most likely, Henry will be dependent on finding the end zone, perhaps more than ever before.
Source: MassLive.com - Mark Daniels
Source: MassLive.com - Mark Daniels
Eli Raridon Taking Advantage of Thin Depth Chart
New England Patriots rookie tight end Eli Raridon has been pointed to as a player who stood out during the team's first practice of training camp on Saturday, with ESPN's Mike Reiss noting how an injury-thinned depth chart has allowed him to take reps behind 11th-year veteran Hunter Henry. Free agent acquisition Julian Hill was placed on season-ending injured reserve after tearing his ACL during OTAs, while 2025 undrafted free agent CJ Dippre opened training camp on the active/physically unable to perform list and was spotted with a brace on his left wrist. Taking advantage of the increased opportunity, Raridon made a deep highlight catch on a pass thrown by backup Tommy DeVito and earned the praise of Henry, who told reporters after practice, "The ceiling is high for him." Raridon is RotoBaller's rookie TE5, and has been pegged as a player to target in the middle rounds of dynasty rookie drafts, with a clear path to fantasy success both long-term and as an immediate contributor.
Source: Mike Reiss
Source: Mike Reiss
Hunter Henry Still the Patriots TE1
New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry is still the team's unquestioned TE1 entering the 2026 season, even though the team added rookie Eli Raridon in April's draft, according to Evan Lazar of Patriots.com. Henry was below-average as a run-blocker last year, but he ranked seventh among TEs in receiving yards with a career-high 768 and had the second-most total EPA by a tight end at plus-72.4. The 31-year-old will once again be a trusted target for young quarterback Drake Maye as the two continue to develop strong chemistry. Raridon could be a possible successor to Henry and could have a big Year 1 role with New England, but as long as Henry is healthy, he'll be the Pats' top pass-catching TE. However, with the additions of receivers A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs, Henry is looking at a lower volume ceiling and floor in his sixth year in New England. Henry has had at least 419 receiving yards in all 10 of his NFL campaigns and is a solid red-zone target for Maye, but fantasy managers should target him as a midrange TE2 this year instead of a surefire TE1.
Source: Patriots.com - Evan Lazar
Source: Patriots.com - Evan Lazar
Patriots Hoping Rookie Eli Raridon Can Contribute Immediately
Jordy McElroy of Patriots Wire writes that the New England Patriots are "desperately clinging to hope" that rookie third-round tight end Eli Raridon "can contribute right out of the gate" in 2026. If Raridon doesn't look like he can handle TE2 duties behind starter Hunter Henry in training camp this summer, it "wouldn't be a surprise" to see the Patriots bring in a veteran at the position to boost the competition. As of right now, McElroy lists Raridon as the No. 2 TE behind Henry, with Tanner Arkin, Jack Westover, and CJ Dippre behind him. Raridon, 22, is a versatile option at the position with the ability to be a solid receiver and blocker. He has a clear path to rookie-year snaps with Julian Hill (knee) going on season-ending Injured Reserve and with Austin Hooper leaving in free agency to sign with the Atlanta Falcons. The 6-foot-6, 245-pounder needs to improve his blocking, but if he can do that, he could have a meaningful role in 2026. And if Henry were to go down with an injury, Raridon would gain lots of steam off the waiver wire in all fantasy football leagues.
Source: Patriots Wire - Jordy McElroy
Source: Patriots Wire - Jordy McElroy
