The 2026 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. Here is the Eli Stowers NFL Draft Profile.
Position: Tight End
School: Vanderbilt
Size: 6-foot-4 inches, 239 pounds
Class: Senior
2025 stats: 62 receptions, 769 receiving yards, 12.4 yards per reception, 4 touchdown catches, 2 rushes, 2 rushing yards
Stowers was a four-star recruit in the class of 2021 who signed with Texas A&M to stay in-state. He didn’t play much as a reserve quarterback for the Aggies over two seasons. Stowers transferred to New Mexico State and made the transition to tight end in 2023. At New Mexico State, he had 35 catches for 366 yards and two touchdowns. He transferred to Vanderbilt for the 2024 season, when he caught 49 passes for 638 yards and five touchdowns. His play helped the Commodores win seven games. In 2025, he had 62 catches for 769 yards and four touchdowns. He led the team to a 10-win season.
Following the season, Stowers has been preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft. He is currently projected to be a day two pick.
Stowers is an elite athlete for the tight end position at the NFL level. He ran a 4.51-second 40-yard dash and jumped 45.5 inches vertically at the NFL Combine. That athleticism shows up on tape. He has great quickness at the start of plays and builds up to that top speed. Stowers has good agility, leaping ability and body control.
He has the ability to separate well as a route runner. Stowers has the ability to get in and out of his breaks well and can separate from man coverage. He can attack the seam and get open on the second and third level as well. Stowers shows his experience as a quarterback, as he can find the soft spot vs. zone coverage and give the quarterback a friendly target.
When the ball is in his hands, he is able to pick up extra yardage. He transitions from receiver to runner quickly. Stowers shows good vision as a runner and has the athleticism to run to open space or make defenders miss. He is also tough to tackle due to his size. The play won’t stop when the ball gets into his hands, and a lot of times, it is just getting started.
While he has a solid frame, Stowers doesn’t have it filled out. He measured in at 6-foot-4 and 239 pounds, so Stowers will need to fill out his frame to add play strength. This lack of play strength can show up as a run blocker, but he can also struggle to play through physical coverage at times.
His run blocking falls well behind the average tight end. Stowers will need to add strength to help him sustain his blocks. He can also work on his technique, although his hand placement is solid already. It will be hard for teams to play Stowers on the line of scrimmage and he could be seen as a bigger slot receiver.
While he has the ability to separate, Stowers doesn’t always run detailed routes. He can give up on some routes instead of running all routes hard. Stowers also rounds off routes a lot rather than trying to get in and out of his breaks quickly. He has the talent, but needs more focused route running.
Projected Draft Range: Second Round Pick-Third Round Pick
Draft Grade: Second Round Pick
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