Patriots scouting report: Jeremiah Franklin is an able blocking tight end

The New England Patriots made some investments into their tight end group this offseason, signing Julian Hill to a three-year free agency deal and selecting Eli Raridon in the third round of the NFL Draft. With the former suffering a season-ending injury during offseason workouts, however, the depth at the position has been tested.

Accordingly, the team brought in two free agent tight ends just before the start of training camp. One of them comes from just down the road.

Name: Jeremiah Franklin

Position: Tight end

Jersey number: 80

Age: 22

Measurements: 6’3 1/8″, 245 lbs, 10 1/4″ hand size, 31″ arm length, 75 7/8″ wingspan, 4.85s 40-yard dash, 7.27s 3-cone drill, 4.57s short shuttle, 32 1/2″ vertical jump, 9’5″ broad jump, 15 bench press reps, 3.85 Relative Athletic Score

NFL: New England Patriots (2026-) | College: Boston College (2022-25)

A tight end and defensive end at Walkersville, MD, High School, Franklin received his first scholarship offer from Boston College in 2020. The three-star recruit later picked up more interest, but despite Liberty, Old Dominion and Yale among those also offering, he stayed true to his initial commitment.

Franklin saw consistent action as an Eagle from early on in his career. A part-time player as a freshman, he eventually finished with 30 career starts out of 44 in-game appearances. Along the way, he became one of the most productive tight ends in B.C. history: he finished with 93 receptions in four seasons, ranking fifth all-time at the position in the school’s annals. He took those catches for 1,010 yards and six touchdowns.

Despite his productivity, Franklin had a quiet start to his NFL career. He did participate in the Patriots’ rookie minicamp after going undrafted, but was not initially signed. It took him almost three more months before the team finally signed him to his first pro contract.

Strengths: Franklin offers decent height at the position and despite not being the most bulky of tight ends has proven himself a productive blocker both in the run and the pass game — a blocker who showed strides every year in college. He offers good core strength and a solid overall anchor in pass protection, while also having the burst to execute down blocks in the run game or get to his landmarks on zone runs. He also uses his big hands well to reel in catches as a target in the short and intermediate passing game; he dropped only 3.8% of his targets in college. He furthermore provides good versatility, having lined up in multiple spots.

Weaknesses: Standing at 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds with relatively short arms, Franklin lacks the desired frame or length to go up against NFL-level competition. He also does not have a particularly exciting athletic makeup. Outside of his burst, he offers a limited skillset in terms of foot speed: both his long speed and his quickness are average at best, which in turn might further limit how he can be used at the next level. He is not the most agile runner with the ball in his hands, and doesn’t have the speed to run away from players both in pursuit and coverage.

Stats: 12 games (12 starts) | 675 offensive snaps, 60 special teams snaps | 70 targets, 49 catches (70.0%), 506 receiving yards (10.3/catch), 2 TDs, 3 drops, 1 fumble (0 lost) | 1 QB pressure surrendered (1 sack) | 0 penalties

Season recap: Franklin already had a career year in 2024, but he managed to take his game and productivity to another level during his senior campaign. Starting all 12 of the Eagles’ games, his 675 snaps ranked fifth overall on the team and clearly put him atop his position group in terms of on-field opportunities.

He made the most out of those, too. Franklin ranked second on the team in receptions (49), third in targets (70) and receiving yards (497) and fourth in touchdowns (2). His consistency might have been more remarkable than his actual numbers: he caught at least one pass in every game, including for a 6-yard overtime touchdown in an overtime thriller against Michigan State — a game that saw him gain a career-best 84 yards.

Despite being an integral part of the Eagles’ passing game, Franklin was also heavily employed as a blocker: he either pass-protected or run-blocked on almost half of his snaps (48.9%). Thanks in part to his efforts, B.C. averaged 4.5 yards per carry when running to the outside in 2025.

After the conclusion of his senior campaign, Franklin was not invited to the NFL Scouting Combine or any other college showcases. He did, however, participate in the Patriots’ local pro day.

Position: Y-tight end | Ability: Camp body/Practice squad candidate | Contract: Signed through 2028 (2029 RFA)

What will be his role? Franklin was employed as a multi-purpose tight end in college, both from an alignment and a usage perspective. However, the Patriots might try to use him in a more pre-defined manner suited to his skillset relative to NFL competition. Accordingly, it would not be a surprise if he started out as a Y-tight end and possible H-back/fullback primarily focused on blocking.

What is his growth potential? Not the most electrifying athlete, Franklin likely will develop most favorably as a role player. What could that role be? As outlined above, blocking should probably be his main focus early on. If he can bring his game to a proper level, he could develop into a suitable TE2 further down the line.

Does he have positional versatility? Based on his college usage, one is inclined to say yes. Franklin, after all, lined up in-line, in the slot, out wide and even in the backfield on occasion. That said, it seems unlikely the Patriots will use him like this early on in his career especially after joining the team relatively late in the process.

What is his salary cap situation? Franklin signed a standard three-year undrafted rookie contract with the Patriots. The pact includes a $885,000 base salary for the 2025 season that simultaneously functions as his cap hit. With no guarantees in the deal and the salary not high enough, he currently does not qualify for Top 51 status and does therefore not count against New England’s books at the moment.

How safe is his roster spot? The Patriots’ tight end depth is a question mark, but Franklin still is facing an uphill battle to make the roster. Before he proves himself capable of elevating his game to pro-level standards and earns quality practice reps, he will most likely have to aim for the practice squad.

Summary: Franklin is an able blocker at the tight end position who also has some solid production on his college résumé. While that alone will not help him make the team, it shows that he comes with a decent foundation. All he has to do next is quickly build on it, or else the practice squad let alone the 53-man roster will prove themselves out of reach.

What do you think about Jeremiah Franklin heading into the 2026 season? Will he make name for himself within the tight end mix? Or will his Patriots stint find a quick end? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.