Who Should I Start? Hunter Henry or James Conner

Tuesday, July 28, 8:31 AM

Mark Daniels of MassLive.com reports that New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry made a highlight-reel grab during training camp practice on Tuesday, jumping over defender Kevin Byard and then crashing to the ground for a big gain on a deep connection with quarterback Drake Maye. The 31-year-old veteran and former second-rounder (35th overall) by the Chargers in 2016 from the University of Arkansas is still New England's top pass-catching TE going into 2026, despite the addition of rookie Eli Raridon in this year's draft. Henry had a strong 2025 season (his fifth year with the Pats), catching 60 of his 87 targets for 768 yards and seven touchdowns (his most since 2021) in 17 regular-season starts. At the very worst, Henry should be considered a midrange TE2 while developing excellent chemistry with Maye, although his floor and ceiling could be lowered in 2026 after the offseason additions of receivers A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs. With limited volume most likely, Henry will be dependent on finding the end zone, perhaps more than ever before.