On Sunday, Travis Kelce dropped a potential touchdown, which bounced to Philadelphia Eagles’ rookie safety Andrew Mukuba. The interception cost the Kansas City Chiefs an opportunity to avenge their loss in Super Bowl LIX. With Kelce nearing the end of his career, the Chiefs must invest in a young tight end in the 2026 NFL draft.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Eli Raridon suffered significant injuries that prevented him from contributing early in his time with the team. Now that he’s healthy, the 6’7″, 251 lb. senior leads all Fighting Irish pass catchers with nine receptions for 182 yards through the team’s first two games, which were both against ranked opponents.
Eli Raridon was an NFL Draft Stock Up selection for me this week. He’s quickly become a key piece of Notre Dame’s passing attack, leading the team in receptions and receiving yards this season. Here are some of his top plays against Texas A&M. #NFLDraft#NFLDraft2026pic.twitter.com/p1k3wJ3QBI
— Sam Teets (@Sam_Teets33) September 15, 2025
Raridon uses his long strides and quality speed to quickly out-leverage zone coverage and find gaps. His awareness of holes in zones, especially between the second and third level, paved the way for a good chunk of his production in Week 3. Raridon dropped several passes against Miami but completed two receptions through heavy contact against the Aggies, suggesting his Week 1 struggles are behind him.
Raridon lacks the top speed to generate consistent separation against slot defenders or coverage linebackers, but his size creates mismatch opportunities when facing man coverage. Defenses respect him as a threat on seam routes. Defenders catch Raridon from behind in long catch-and-run situations but not before the tight end carves out chunks of yardage.
Raridon isn’t an elite in-line blocker, but he cleared several run lanes that led to scores against Texas A&M. He plays tougher in the trenches than his lean frame suggests. Raridon sets a good base for his blocks and uses his play strength advantage to overwhelm or ensnare linebackers and defensive backs when operating at the second level. He’s sturdy enough to contribute as a true in-line blocker or puller on gap runs.
Raridon currently projects as a mid-Day 3 selection but could play his way into the fourth or third round conversation.
Notre Dame plays at home against Purdue on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 2:30 p.m. CT. The Fighting Irish finish the month on Sept. 27 against a high-scoring Arkansas team that produced 143 points in its first three games.
This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: 2026 NFL draft scouting report: Notre Dame TE Eli Raridon
