On the front line, the Patriots have two solid options at tight end. Hunter Henry has become a fixture with the team in his fifth season, a captain for the past three years. He led New England with 66 catches for 674 yards in 2024, which is, indeed, a comment on the quality of Patriots receivers, but also a reflection of the trust between Henry and young quarterback Drake Maye.
Henry also has one of the better backups in the league, Austin Hooper, a veteran who had started 68 games in his career before coming to the Patriots last season. While Henry led the team in yardage, Hooper was third with 476 yards. It says something about the duo that, withe very unit on the New England roster being overhauled this offseason, there was never any doubt that Henry and Hooper would be back in their usual roles.
The problem, though, comes when the Patriots begin looking at their third tight end, should either Hooper or Henry get injured. It’ll be a long search: They don’t have one on the two-deep. With that in mind, the Patriots held a workout for three tight ends on Friday, perhaps seeking more experienced depth at the position.
Patriots Looking at Tight Ends
The Patriots brought in Marshall Lang, Cole Turner and Zach Davidson on Friday for a look, just ahead of Sunday’s opener against the Raiders at home.
Of the three, Turner has the most experience by far. He played two seasons in Washington after he was a fifth-round pick in 2022, making 22 appearances and three starts, with 13 catches and 143 yards. But he was demoted to the practice squad in 2024 and did not appear in a game for Washington.
The 6-foot-7 Davidson has experience, too, though that’s limited. He was a fifth-rounder for the Vikings in 2021 and was with the Bills for the last three years, finally appearing in a game and making a catch in Week 11 against the Chiefs. He was active for two games.
Lang is only 23 and was signed by the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent from Northwestern, and made it through Seattle’s camp before he was finally cut. The Patriots have another undrafted free agent, CJ Dippre out of Alabama, already on the practice squad.
Hunter Henry Focused on Helping Drake Maye Lead
As for Henry, he is the 19th-rated tight end out of 74 in the NFL, per PFF, with Hooper rated a lofty sixth.
He will be key in keeping Maye focused and calm on Sundays. Maye called Hunter one of his “best friends” on the team.
Said Maye: “Hunter, just the positive energy he brings to the huddle. I think with me balancing that with kind of being stern in the huddle and knowing that, ‘Hey, I’ve got to get these guys going.’ I think just bringing the positive energy. The thing about Hunter, he’s one of my best friends on the team. He just shows up every day. He loves football.
“I think that’s kind of what I’m learning from Hunter. He doesn’t do it for anything else but for the love of the game. Whether he’s running a clear-out route, catching a seam ball or blocking in the run game, he does it out of the sheer joy of wanting to win. I think we both share that same mindset of wanting to win.”
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