Eli Raridon

Draft Projection

Measurements

Athletic Testing

Scouting Report

A 6-6, 245-pound multi-role tight end who posted a historic 9.66 RAS at the 2026 combine (ranking 47th all-time among tight ends) but is recovering from two right ACL tears that limit his overall upside. He starts 12 games at Notre Dame with 32 catches for 482 yards showing impressive blocking effort and quicker-than-expected route-running for his size, though he has never been a moderate contributor in the passing game requiring extensive projection. Projects as a Day 3 blocking-first inline TE with receiving upside.

Player Comparison

Strengths

• Tears apart zone coverages with his length and feel for finding space, settling into holes between levels and converting short gains into chunk yardage consistently.
• Forces safeties to respect him vertically, which opens up the entire middle of the field and gives the offense an extra dimension defenses have to account for.
• Timing at the route break point keeps improving, snapping his head around on schedule and giving quarterbacks clean throwing windows to hit him in rhythm.
• Brings more physicality as a blocker than that lean build suggests, delivering functional pop at the second level and showing he'll get after people in the trenches.
• Grip strength catches you off guard, locking onto defenders when blocking and securing passes through contact even when defenders are draped all over him.
• Works seam routes intelligently by using those long strides and reading coverage shells, knowing when to throttle down versus when to keep pushing vertical.
• Can handle three-down work with his blend of receiving chops and blocking commitment, the kind of tight end who doesn't come off the field based on situation.
• Route stems getting more advanced as he figures out how to manipulate defenders with tempo changes and leverage positioning, steering coverage before breaking into open grass.

Areas to Improve

• Two torn ACLs on the same knee creates real medical red flags that team doctors need to dig into before anyone commits draft capital to this kid.
• Gets too tall in his stance when blocking, letting shorter defenders get underneath his pads and knock him backward when they come with power.
• Route tree remains pretty limited from lack of reps, looks uncomfortable when asked to run option routes or make adjustments on the fly mid-play.
• Doesn't make much happen after the catch with below-average change of direction and balance through contact, gets tracked down from behind too often for comfort.
• Needs to pack serious weight onto those legs and hips to hold up blocking defensive ends every down, currently too slight for consistent pass protection duties.