Eli Stowers didn’t use Vanderbilt football’s pro day as a second showcase point for the record-breaking performances at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.
Less than a month removed from vertical leaping 45.5 inches and broad jumping 11 feet, three inches in Indianapolis, both of which were modern combine records for tight ends, Stowers participated only in field drills at Vanderbilt’s pro day on March 20. This was by design. The 6-foot-4, 239-pound Stowers said he put all of his pre-combine focus into winning the testing portion of the event because a hamstring injury earlier in the process left him short on time to prepare for both.
Having made the right decision for the combine, Stowers leaned into field work at his pro day. This meant running routes for and catching passes from quarterback Diego Pavia, but it also meant taking blocking reps during the offensive line field drills.
Stowers says his aspiration is to be a master of every aspect of playing tight end. That means athleticism, route running and catching skill, but it also means physicality, blocking awareness and the spatial awareness that comes from having a high football IQ. He points to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce as his north star as a route runner and when it comes to field awareness, but he points to San Francisco 49ers standout George Kittle as his blueprint for being the kind of well-rounded tight end he dreams of becoming.
Stowers is still fairly new to tight end life. He only played two seasons as a full-time tight end, converting from quarterback after his circuitous college journey took him from Texas A&M to New Mexico State to Vanderbilt. He blossomed with the Commodores, and now ranks as the No. 46 prospect and the No. 2 tight end according for the 2026 NFL Draft according to ESPN. The NFL draft takes place April 23-25.
But even in his fairly short time as a tight end, he’s been able to learn from the best. Kittle and Kelce make yearly trips to Nashville to host their “Tight End University” camp, where Stowers says he’s been able to observe and soak in their wisdom.
“I wouldn’t say I got to know them, but over the last two years of Tight End U I got to meet them both and watch them, sit in on meetings where they talked about how they approach the game,” Stowers said. “George Kittle, he would go up there, and really Kelce too, they talked about how at the tight end position we have an advantage because we’re athletic but we also have size. Being able to use both of those to our advantage in the route game and in the blocking game, that was a really big piece of advice that I thought was great.”
Nick Suss is the Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com. Follow Nick on X @nicksuss. Subscribe to the Talkin’ Titans newsletter for updates sent directly to your inbox.
