Undrafted Rookie Tanner Arkin Emerges as Patriots’ Top Blocking Tight End in Camp

Tanner Arkin arrived at New England Patriots training camp as an opportunity, not a guarantee. The undrafted rookie out of Illinois had the size and blocking frame to fill an obvious need, but he still had to beat out returning players and prove his game would translate from college to the NFL.

Less than three weeks in, Arkin has become the Patriots’ biggest surprise of camp. He has worked his way from an unproven roster longshot to the apparent frontrunner for New England’s third tight end job, logging regular reps with the first- and second-team offenses, lining up at fullback, and showing enough range to make himself difficult to cut.

That is a real change from where things stood after the draft. Hunter Henry remained the Patriots’ clear top tight end, and third-round pick Eli Raridon (No. 95 overall) arrived with the receiving upside to eventually become a bigger factor in the passing game. Free-agent addition Julian Hill was ticketed for the blocking-tight-end work. C.J. Dippre and Jack Westover also had NFL experience Arkin lacked.

Hill’s season-ending knee injury this spring opened a door, but it didn’t hand Arkin anything. According to Yahoo Sports, Dippre spent the first stretch of camp on the physically unable to perform list before being activated, and the team could have leaned on him or added a veteran instead. Arkin still had to learn a new offense, adjust to NFL speed, and show he could hold up physically once pads came on.

He’s cleared those hurdles faster than expected.

Arkin takes over the Patriots’ blocking tight end role

At 6-foot-4, 262 pounds, Arkin has supplied the physicality New England needed at the position. His willingness to engage defensive linemen and edge rushers stood out once padded practices began, and he’s since mixed into first-team packages with quarterback Drake Maye.

That matters more than any single highlight. Blocking tight ends don’t get attention for spectacular catches. Their value shows up in heavy personnel groupings, short-yardage downs, and play-action looks — situations where the Patriots have already trusted Arkin against front-line competition.

Head coach Mike Vrabel has praised how quickly Arkin has picked up the offense without letting added responsibility slow him down. Speaking to reporters, Vrabel said Arkin has shown a

“competitive spirit, going against [Dre’Mont Jones] and Elijah [Ponder], trying to block, be consistent and be physical,”

adding that the rookie has

“learned what to do quickly,”

according to Heavy.com.

Henry, who has taken the rookie under his wing in the tight end room, told reporters

“Tanner’s doing a lot of good things,”

per Yahoo Sports. Arkin, for his part, said watching Henry day to day has been part of his own development:

“He’s such a great tight end, and he’s been around the league… just to have a guy like that in the room has been great,”

he said, according to the same report.

He hasn’t been limited to blocking duty, either. New England has used him out of the backfield and in the flat on play-action, including a wide-open completion from Maye during a recent practice, per Pats Pulpit.

Nobody is confusing Arkin with a featured pass-catcher — that role belongs to Henry and, increasingly, Raridon. But showing he can be trusted in the passing game means the Patriots don’t have to tip their hand every time he’s on the field.

Dippre’s return hasn’t erased Arkin’s edge

Dippre’s activation off the PUP list didn’t reset the tight end competition. He returned to practice wearing a noticeable brace on his left wrist, per 98.5 The Sports Hub, and by then Arkin had already banked meaningful first- and second-team reps in his absence. Rather than simply benefiting from an injury elsewhere on the roster, Arkin turned the opening into real separation on the depth chart.

Why Arkin stands out among the Patriots’ other camp surprises

He’s not the only Patriot turning heads. Raridon has been one of the more productive rookies in camp, developing chemistry with both Maye and backup quarterback Tommy DeVito. During New England’s joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts, Raridon caught a red-zone touchdown from DeVito, one of several tight-window throws the backup completed that day, according to Pats Pulpit‘s practice recap.

DeVito has also strengthened his hold on the No. 2 quarterback job, following a strong Blue-White scrimmage with a sharp outing against Indianapolis that included touchdown throws to Raridon, Henry and Mack Hollins.

But Raridon came in as a Day 2 pick expected to contribute, and DeVito arrived as the presumptive backup. Arkin started with none of that built-in standing — no draft status, no NFL experience, no guaranteed role. He’s built his case from nothing, and he’s expanded his value further by working at fullback along the way.

The numbers below show the tight end room’s roster status through camp:

What comes next

Preseason games will be a tougher test. Arkin has to prove his blocking translates against unfamiliar opponents, and even a strong training camp doesn’t guarantee an undrafted rookie a roster spot in August. But what he’s already done is real: he’s turned an uncertain opportunity into consistent first-team reps and become the leading candidate in a legitimate position battle. Few players on this roster have changed their outlook as much this summer.