One prospect who may interest the Denver Broncos on day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft is Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon. He is a 6-6, 245-pound tight end prospect who is considered one of the better tight ends in this entire draft class.
Raridon played four seasons at Notre Dame and was a key player for them these past two seasons. During his four-year career, he appeared in 40 games and totaled 48 catches for 623 yards and 3 touchdowns. This past year for the Fighting Irish, Raridon appeared in 12 games and totaled 32
receptions for 482 yards, which were all career-highs, but failed to score a touchdown.
The Broncos re-signed veteran Adam Trautman to a multi-year deal, while they also brought back Nate Adkins and Lucas Krull on vet minimum deals. They’re also bringing back veteran Evan Engram, but still need to add some new blood to that tight end room. Raridon has some medical questions, but the talent is clear, and he would be a solid addition to the Broncos’ tight end room.
Player Profile
Eli Raridon | Tight End | Notre Dame
- Height: 6-6
- Weight: 245 pounds
- Arm Length: 32 3/4 inches
- Hand Size: 10 3/4 inches
- 40-time: 4.62 seconds
- 10-Yard Split: 1.6 seconds
- Vertical Jump: 36 inches
- Broad Jump: 10-3
- Bench Press: 20 reps
Film Room
Scouting Report
Strengths
- Has impressive size, length, and build, and has room to grow into his frame
- Is a weapon in the middle of the field – Finds the soft spot in zone coverage and gives the QB a large target
- Can attack the seam and be a vertical threat in the pass game
- Will run through contact after the catch
- Has big, strong hands and doesn’t have issues with contested catches
- Really good blocker who is physical at the point of attack and at the second level
- Three-down tight end who doesn’t need to come off the field
- Size, length, and skill set to be a red zone/goal line weapon
Weaknesses
- Has suffered two ACL tears in his right knee (2021 and 2022), but has been healthy the past two seasons
- Will need to add some mass/muscle to his frame to hold up against bigger and stronger players in the NFL
- Lacks overall speed and athleticism to create consistently after the catch in the NFL
- Limited route tree
What other analysts are saying about Notre Dame TE Eli Raridon
NFL.com’s draft analyst Lance Zierlein on Notre Dame tight end Eli Raridon
Projects as a “Y” tight end with the ability to play and produce on all three downs. In the pros, Raridon might spend more time with his hand in the ground than he did at Notre Dame. He blocks with solid technique and good tenacity but still needs to add muscle mass to his long frame. The Notre Dame passing attack opened him up on intermediate hash throws against zone but he also has sneaky build-up speed and ball skills to make catches down the field. Raridon needs more experience but is an ascending talent who should become the seventh Notre Dame tight end drafted over the last nine years.
Eli Raridon’s RAS
Should the Broncos draft Notre Dame TE Eli Raridon on Day 3 of the 2026 NFL Draft?
The talent is there, but it all depends on the medicals.
Two ACL tears in the same knee in back-to-back years are a red flag. With that said, he has stayed healthy the past two seasons, so it all depends on how the Broncos medical team feels about it. We can only speculate.
As for the talent, Raridon looks the part. He’s not the most athletic and won’t be the biggest receiving threat, but once he adds some weight/muscle, he’s going to be a hand-in-the-dirt run blocker for a long time in the NFL. He will be a three-down tight end who won’t be a tell for defenses and can be used in the passing game. He has the size and ability to win one-on-one contested catches while also having the ability to get open in the middle of the field. With that said, you’re drafting him for the dirty work he can do in the trenches first and his receiving upside second.
As for the fit with the Broncos, he could slide in and play in two-tight-end sets with Adam Trautman and give the Broncos a solid run blocker and another big target in the middle of the field. He would also give QB Bo Nix a big target in the red zone, which was something we didn’t see a lot of last season.
Again, the medicals will be key here, but if all comes back good, I think Raridon would be a solid pick for the Broncos on day 3 of the draft.
