NFL
2026 NFL Draft
Tight end Eli Stowers set career highs with 62 catches and 769 receiving yards at Vanderbilt in 2025. Kenneth Richmond / Getty Images
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The Philadelphia Eagles selected Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers with the No. 54 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Stowers was the second tight end taken in the draft and the first on Day 2.
Originally recruited as a college quarterback, Stowers began his college career at Texas A&M. Multiple shoulder injuries forced him to change positions and become a tight end. After two years at Texas A&M, Stowers managed to get his collegiate career rolling at New Mexico State in 2023, where his quarterback was Diego Pavia. Stowers and Pavia both transferred to Vanderbilt in 2024 and spent the past two seasons together.
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Stowers has steadily improved in each of the last three seasons, going from 35 catches in 2023 to 49 in 2024 and 62 in 2025. His 769 receiving yards last year were a career best. Stowers was a first-team All-SEC pick in 2024 and became a first-team All-American and the Mackey Award winner in 2025.
Stowers is a good athlete, so the receiving game came fairly naturally in his transition from quarterback to tight end. Stowers’ 64.1 receiving yards per game led all FBS tight ends in 2025. However, he still has work to do as a blocker, especially as the defenders get faster and stronger at the NFL level. His large frame still offers room to add mass and grow stronger, which should help his blocking as well as make him a bigger target in the receiving game.
Stowers ranked No. 63 in Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“An above-average athlete for the position, Stowers attacks defenders’ techniques and uses his quickness to consistently win one-on-one on slants, digs or seam balls. Because of the quarterback and scheme at Vanderbilt, he was asked to use his burst for quick windows and is unproven in other areas, although he has the speed to be more of a deep threat in a pro-style scheme. He delivered mixed results when asked to attack in traffic, but he has reliable hands and fluid adjustment skills. As a blocker, he has questionable physicality and sustain strength but competes when sealing or walling off defenders.”
A mismatch-creating, explosive pass-catcher who must show he can block at the NFL level.
What an anonymous SEC defensive coordinator had to say about Stowers in Bruce Feldman’s mock draft:
“Linebackers can’t cover this guy. His athleticism is rare, and he can really go get the ball. He also tracks the ball really well.” — SEC defensive coordinator
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This is almost another X receiver for Philadelphia. If the Eagles are truly trying to replace A.J. Brown, this is the true comp – as Stowers is an electric 239-pound tight end with terrific work in the air and after the catch. He is not a run blocker, however. That will impact his role. Grade: B+
The Eagles needed to secure their pass-catching tight end of the future as they continue to build their new offensive system under new OC Sean Mannion. Stowers was arguably the best pass-catching tight end available on Day 2. He totaled 111 catches for 1,407 yards and nine touchdowns in two seasons at Vanderbilt. He’s 6-foot-4, 235 pounds and has quickness that made him a consistent mismatch in coverage. His ceiling is in the passing game. He will need to prove himself as an NFL-level blocker. The Eagles’ tight end room collectively struggled to block in 2025, but they signed Johnny Mundt in free agency to address that issue. — Eagles beat writer Brooks Kubena
The Eagles kicked the can a few times during free agency before re-signing Dallas Goedert to a one-year, $7 million deal. Roseman has been trying to work around Goedert’s hefty contract for two years now, but hadn’t yet landed a player who could replace his production. Enter Stowers. The rookie will have to prove himself during the summer and training camp. To see the field, he’ll also have to compete against Grant Calcaterra, who also re-signed on a one-year deal. But Calcaterra totaled nine catches for 76 yards and a touchdown last season. For now, the Eagles’ most proven option remains Goedert. But Goedert, who just turned 31, has managed injuries throughout his career. Depth is a good thing to immediately address for the Eagles, as well as securing an option for the future. It should also be noted that the Eagles would receive cap savings if they released Goedert at any point during the 2026 season. — Kubena
Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren stood out on the draft board as a potential starting safety, and the Eagles passed on that option for another pass-catcher. The Eagles eschewed adding to the line of scrimmage with Oregon guard Emmanuel Pregnon or Northwestern tackle Caleb Tiernan. They also bypassed the defensive line. It was the third consecutive season the Eagles did not use a pick in the top two rounds on the line of scrimmage. — Eagles beat writer Zach Berman
The Eagles made their biggest investment in tight end since 2018 with a player who has elite traits and award-winning production, and that combination jumped out more than investing in the line of scrimmage. The trade minutes later for Jonathan Greenard should help ease concerns of neglecting the lines. There’s a legitimate reason for Eagles fans to be excited about Stowers. If you disregard the blocking deficiencies — and that’s a big item to disregard — the speed and athleticism in the passing game give the Eagles considerable promise, and the combination of Stowers and Makai Lemon reconfigures the offensive weapons for years to come. — Berman
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