Eli Stowers Breaks Records at NFL Combine – Sports Illustrated

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Former Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers did not disappoint in his NFL Draft Combine performance. In fact, Stowers had a record-breaking start to his combine workout.
Stowers and the rest of the tight ends started with broad jumps and vertical jumps. On the broad jump, Stowers set a combine record jumping an astounding 11-foot-3 inches. His broad jump broke a record from former Virginia Tech tight end Bucky Hodges that had stood since 2017.
On the vertical jump, Stowers smashed the all-time tight end vertical jump record with a 45 ½-inch vertical. The previous record of 43 ½ inches was set by former Pittsburgh tight end Dorin Dickerson in 2010. On the 40-yard dash, Stowers ran a time of 4.51 seconds on his first attempt and a 4.55 on his second attempt. For comparison, former NFL tight end Greg Olsen ran a 4.51 at the 2007 combine. A time of 4.51 seconds is on the 96th percentile among tight ends at the combine, according to data from MockDraftable
ELI. STOWERS. 👏pic.twitter.com/xACK9F4wya
Before his combine workout, Stowers' size measurements were taken. Stowers stood 6-foot-3 ¾ inches tall and weighed 239 pounds. His wingspan was 79 ¾ inches, his hand measurement was 9 ¾ inches and his arm size was 32 ⅝ inches. While none of his pre-workout measurements popped off the charts, that was expected. Stowers’ workout test results were the thing to watch from Stowers at the combine.
Now that scouts, coaches and general managers have seen Stowers’ test results, it would be hard not to be impressed by his athletic ability. It is worthy to note that Stowers is a former quarterback and was on his high school’s track and field team. 
It seems that he has been able to use the athletic ability he has gained from playing other sports and another position and translate it to the tight end position. His athleticism allows him to absorb hits and create opportunities to get yards after the catch while his route running helps him get open and be a reliable option to quarterbacks.
Stowers was one of the cornerstones of Vanderbilt’s turnaround over the past two seasons. Stowers led the Commodores in receptions the last two seasons as he helped Vanderbilt achieve its first 10-win season in program history. During the 2025 season, Stowers had 62 receptions for 769 yards and four touchdowns.
During his time in Nashville, Stowers was a major piece in the passing game, especially as a pass catcher. Stowers’ pass catching ability is what helped him win the John Mackey Award this past season, the award that is given to the best tight end in college football. 
Everyone knows that Stowers will provide NFL teams with a tight end that knows how to catch balls, run routes and find open holes in opposing defenses. But Stowers also feels that he is an underrated blocker as well.
“I've taken a lot of strides in my run blocking over the last two years. I think I've gotten a lot better, and I think I continue to get a lot better as well, not just in that aspect of my game, but in every aspect,” Stowers said during his combine media availability Thursday.
Stowers does not want to be a one-dimensional tight end. He knows that he needs to show his abilities as a pass catcher and as a blocker in both the run and passing game for whichever team drafts him.
Stowers has studied plenty of tight ends over the years, but there are a few that he named that he wants to model different aspects of his game after.
“I watch all the greats. [Travis] Kelce in terms of his route running and his ability to get open and catch the ball. [George] Kittle in terms of his mindset of being able to try to be the best at every aspect of tight end. Not just running and catching the ball, but being the best blocker in the league,” Stowers said. “Another guy I watch is Antonio Gates. I think he’s a guy that I can learn a lot from in terms of being able to understand the game. Being able to find zones, get open and be a quarterback’s friend.”
Depending on who you ask, Stowers has been rated as the second or third best tight end in this year’s draft class entering today. Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq has been the top consensus tight end due to his blocking ability.
There is no guarantee that Stowers’ test results will raise his draft stock or how how exactly his stock is impacted. But one thing is for sure: his test results certainly did not hurt his stock and draft projection.
Graham Baakko is a writer for Vanderbilt Commodores On SI, primarily covering football, basketball and baseball. Graham is a recent graduate from the University of Alabama, where he wrote for The Crimson White, WVUA-FM, WVUA 23 as he covered a variety of Crimson Tide sports. He also covered South Carolina athletics as a sportswriting intern for GamecockCentral.
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