Tight End/Fullbacks: Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper, Jaheim Bell, Jack Westover, Brock Lampe (FB), C.J. Dippre, Gee Scott Jr.
After retaining their productive duo, the Patriots enter training camp with questions about tight end depth and possibly rostering a fullback again under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Last season, Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper quickly became reliable targets for second-year QB Drake Maye. New England ranked fifth in receptions (113) and sixth in receiving yards (1,170) from the tight end position in 2024, primarily thanks to a highly productive season from Henry. The tenth-year pro returns to the Patriots for his fifth season in New England after posting a career-high 66 catches for 674 receiving yards last season. The Pats also re-signed Hooper as a free agent following a 45-catch, 476-yard campaign in his first year in Foxboro.
As a pairing, Henry and Hooper were one of the best tight end tandems in football last season, a clear bright spot in what was a rocky season overall for New England's offense. Along with their box-score production, Maye was comfortable throwing to his veteran tight ends as security blankets in key situations. For example, Henry tied for the team lead with 19 receptions vs. man coverage while also producing 18 first-down conversions on third down. Hooper, on the other hand, was sneaky explosive with five catches over 20-plus yards last season.
Following a productive season where they developed a rapport with their young quarterback, Henry and Hooper enter camp as the clear-cut top tight ends on the depth chart. The bigger unknown at the position is whether the Patriots will carry a third tight end on the 53-man roster, with a slew of first-and second-year players competing for a potential TE3 spot. From this perspective, it's not a necessity for New England to carry a third tight end on the 53-man roster due to practice squad flexibility, so Bell, Westover, Dippre, or Scott will have to earn their keep.
Starting with the two holdovers, the Patriots selected Jaheim Bell in the seventh round of the 2024 NFL Draft. There was some excitement as far as seventh-round picks are concerned about Bell due to his athletic profile (8.44 RAS) and solid college production (39 catches, 503 yards in 2023 at Florida State). The Swiss Army knife tight end, who played some running back in college as well, can play multiple spots detached from the formation, whether that's on the wing, split out in the slot, or out of the backfield.
However, Bell fell in the draft because he was a player without a clearly defined position, and we've seen some inconsistencies with him on traditional tight end assignments. The Pats are still tinkering with how to use Bell best to maximize his skill set, while it's also possible that the "tweener" label put on him by many in the draft has followed him to the pros. The other holdover in the room is Westover, whom the team signed to the practice squad last October. Westover is more under the radar than Bell, but he was given plenty of opportunities in the spring.
The Patriots also signed former Alabama TE C.J. Dippre and LSU tight end Gee Scott Jr. as undrafted free agents following the 2025 draft. Dippre is the most intriguing rookie tight end due to his size (6-5, 256 pounds) and draftable film as an in-line blocker. Dippre wasn't a high-volume target at Alabama, but he has some build-up speed (4.69s 40-yard dash) to catch passes in the flats and was considered a late-round draft pick possibility due to his upside as a blocker. Dippre didn't flash much in the spring, which isn't surprising because his skill set is more likely to shine in padded practices where blocking becomes a factor.
Although there's still hope that the Patriots could tap into Bell's athleticism, Dippre has a chance to make the roster from this perspective. To make the team as a third tight end, blocking and special teams value is an absolute must, and Dippre has the skill set to fill roles as a short-yardage blocking option and special teams ace on protection units.
Another major storyline surrounding this position group is whether the Patriots will roster a fullback for the first time since the 2021 season, McDaniels's most recent season in New England. Historically, McDaniels's offenses have featured two-back formations with a lead blocker, or fullback, in the backfield along with the running back. In his lone full season as Raiders head coach, Vegas was fifth in 21-personnel usage at 20.2%, while the Patriots utilized two-back formations on 18.9% of their offensive plays in 2021 (fourth in NFL). In both instances, current Texans FB Jakob Johnson was McDaniels's preferred fullback.
Schematically, there are several advantages to using a fullback as a lead blocker. The most obvious is that they can lead up to the second level of the defense to create clean rushing lanes for the ball carrier. Another advantage is that, unlike a tight end on the line of scrimmage, the fullback is unpredictable, as he can insert himself into the blocking scheme in either direction. Offenses can also more easily mimic run plays to set up play-action with a fullback since the leading actions often serve as triggers for linebackers to come downhill, opening passing lanes.
Currently, the lone traditional fullback on the roster is undrafted rookie Brock Lampe. Lampe posted an 84.5 run-blocking grade via Pro Football Focus, the highest grade among qualified non-offensive linemen in college football last season. Whether Lampe wins the job or the team signs a veteran fullback, the expectation is that the Patriots will roster a fullback based on McDaniels's history and spring practices.
Eventually, using a premium asset on a successor to the 30-year-old Henry will be on the docket. For now, the top of the depth chart is set with Henry and Hooper, while open roles remain as New England looks to fill out its depth at tight end and fullback this summer.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
