The tight end position is one of the biggest question marks on the New England Patriots’ roster. While Hunter Henry remains a reliable starter and team captain, and the team just invested a third-round draft choice in Eli Raridon, the depth behind the two suffered a major loss when free agency signing Julian Hill went down with a season-ending injury during offseason workouts.
This created a vacuum particularly in the blocking department; Hill projected as a complementary piece alongside Henry and
Raridon. Now, however, somebody else might have to step in.
That somebody might just be second-year man C.J. Dippre.
Hard facts
Name: C.J. Dippre
Position: Tight end
Jersey number: 81
Opening day age: 24 (4/29/2002)
Measurements: 6’4 7/8”, 256 lbs, 9 5/8” hand size, 32” arm length, 79 3/4” wingspan, 4.69s 40-yard dash, 7.27s 3-cone drill, 4.58s short shuttle, 34 1/2” vertical jump, 10’0” broad jump, 32 bench press reps, 8.71 Relative Athletic Score
Experience
NFL: New England Patriots (2025-) | College: Maryland (2021-22), Alabama (2023-24)
A multi-sport standout at Lakeland Jr. Sr. High School in Scott Township, PA, Dippre was a four-year starter as both a quarterback and defensive end. However, the three-star recruit committed to Maryland as a tight end instead. He ended up spending two seasons with the Terrapins, playing 25 games with 13 starts. Before entering the transfer portal late during his second season he had amassed 33 catches for 339 yards and three touchdowns.
Dippre received multiple high-profile scholarship offers as a transfer, but eventually picked Alabama over his other finalist, Ohio State. He finished his college career with a two-year stint in Tuscaloosa, adding 27 games and 24 starts to his totals while also catching 32 passes for 443 yards.
After the conclusion of his senior campaign, Dippre entered the NFL as a rookie free agent signing by the Patriots. He appeared in two games during his first season without registering any statistics.
Scouting report
Strengths: Dippre offers an NFL-caliber combination of size and athleticism. He has good straight-line speed to challenge teams down the seam or on crossing patterns, and a feel for finding openings against zone coverage. He also has the strength to be competitive as a blocker, particularly in the run game but also, and plays with some high effort and a solid base in pass protection. He showcases some powerful hands to generate an initial push upon contact, and is able to keep his legs driving to move defenders off the ball when blocking the run.
Weaknesses: Dippre is more of a linear athlete whose lack of explosiveness and lower-body agility can limit his route running and success when challenged at the line of scrimmage and through his patterns. He won’t easily shake defenders but also hasn’t been capable of consistently out-boxing them at the catch point. As a consequence, his receiving upside does seem limited. He also has been uneven as a blocker; he has the tools and core strength to succeed but misplaces his hands and is late on lateral adjustments.
2025 review
Stats: 2 games (0 starts) | 20 offensive snaps (1.5%), 26 special teams snaps (4.7%) | 0 penalties
Season recap: Considered a potential late-round selection in the draft — he ranked 263rd on Arif Hasan’s consensus big board — Dippre did not hear his name called during the event’s seven rounds. Instead, he entered free agency and shortly thereafter reached an agreement on a three-year deal with the Patriots that gave him a then-team record $264,000 in guarantees.
Despite the investment, Dippre found himself on the roster bubble throughout training camp and the preseason. He did see action in all three of the team’s preseason games, but after spending 42 of his 59 total offensive snaps as a blocker and not registering any statistics was released ahead of roster cutdowns.
After going unclaimed through waivers, Dippre returned to New England as part of its initial practice squad. He remained there until mid-November, when the club opted to promote him to its 53-man team to prevent others from poaching him. He ended his season on the Patriots’ active roster, but only saw marginal action: all 20 of his offensive snaps came in the club’s late-regular season blowout wins over the Jets and Dolphins, and he once again served primarily as an in-line blocking option (15 snaps).
Dippre finished his rookie season without any catches or other notable stats, and spent all four playoff games as a healthy scratch.
2026 preview
Position: Y-tight end | Ability: Depth player/Role player | Contract: Signed through 2026 (2027 ERFA)
What will be his role? Dippre was used primarily as an in-line blocking tight end during his rookie season with the Patriots, and little is expected to change with his role heading into his sophomore campaign. He projects mostly as a rotational backup behind Hunter Henry and complementary option next to rookie Eli Raridon.
What is his growth potential? As noted above, Dippre’s receiving upside appears to be limited despite some decent size and straight-line speed. Where he could fully earn himself a spot on an NFL roster is through his blocking, which suggests that the best case for his development would be to become a rotational second or third option similar to how the Patriots would have used the aforementioned Julian Hill.
Does he have positional versatility? Dippre is not a particularly versatile player relative to other tight ends in the league or even on the Patriots’ current roster; he simply lacks the receiving talent and dynamic athleticism to be regularly moved around the formation. That said, he did see action on four special teams units during his two-week stint on New England’s game roster last season: he played on the kickoff and punt return units, the punt coverage team, and was part of the field goal/extra point protection crew.
What is his salary cap situation? His original rookie contract with the Patriot was terminated last August, meaning that Dippre is now on the deal he received when he was promoted to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. The 2026 portion of that pact consists entirely of a non-guaranteed $1.01 million base salary that also functions as his cap number. That number is not high enough to qualify for Top 51 status, meaning that he is not counted against New England’s books at the moment.
How safe is his roster spot? Despite the Patriots protecting him by moving him up to their active roster last November, Dippre is far from a lock to make the team again in 2026. Two of the tight end spots will already be occupied by Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon, leaving what likely will be no more than one spot — if that — for the 24-year-old to fight for. To earn it, he will have to prove himself against Jack Westover, who took practice reps over him during the spring, as well as the likes of Tanner Arkin and recently-added Mitch Van Vooren and Jeremiah Franklin.
Summary: Julian Hill’s season-ending injury created an opening for Dippre and company to make the team. And while he does lack the experience of a Jack Westover or the upside of a Tanner Arkin, the team does seemingly like what he brings to the table. The competition projects to be a fierce one.
What do you think about C.J. Dippre heading into the 2026 season? Will he make an impact on offense? Will he even make the team? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.
