Draft-Week Buzz
- 2026-04-16 [Cowboys visit] — Dallas hosted — TE2 R2 target
- 2026-04-08 [Pro Day] — 4.72 40 at 6-4, 240 — former-QB traits still evident
- 2026-03-28 [All-SEC] — 1st-team All-SEC post-season
- 2026-04-19 [Ian Rapoport] — Eli Stowers on Top 30 visit to Denver Broncos
Buzz items pulled from beat-writer reports, ESPN/NFL.com transactions, Pro Day recaps, and verified Top 30 visit reports in the 30 days leading into the 2026 NFL Draft. Each linked headline goes to the original source. See our full draft-week news tab for cross-prospect timeline.
Scouting Nugget: Former QB, receiving TE
Expanded bio coming soon. This prospect is Tight End #2 in the 2026 class.
Scouting Profile
Combine / Pro Day Measurables (reported)
| 40-yard dash | 4.72 |
| Vertical jump (in) | 36.0 |
| Broad jump | 10'3" |
| Bench press (225 reps) | 20 reps |
| 3-cone drill | 7.12 |
| 20-yard shuttle | 4.25 |
| Wingspan | 79.5" |
| Hand size | 9 3/4" |
Numbers compiled from NFL Scouting Combine results, Pro Day box scores, and beat-writer reports. "Reported" means cross-referenced against multiple sources; verify on nfl.com/combine for definitive marks.
College Career Stats
- 2020-22 Texas A&M (QB): backup college QB, limited snaps
- 2023 New Mexico State (TE, transfer): 31 rec, 425 yds, 4 TD — All-CUSA honorable mention
- 2024 Vanderbilt (TE, transfer): 49 rec, 638 yds, 5 TD — All-SEC honorable mention
- 2025 Vanderbilt (Sr): 57 rec, 747 yds, 7 TD — 1st-team All-SEC + John Mackey semifinalist
Strengths
- Former QB vision — diagnoses coverage post-snap as well as any TE in the class
- Reliable hands — sub-3% drop rate across three TE seasons
- Seam-stretcher speed for the position (4.72 at 240)
- Y-TE blocker who engages in the run game
Weaknesses / Areas to Develop
- Converted from QB in 2023 — still learning finer TE routes
- Contested-catch win rate below elite tier
- Older prospect (23+) limits long-term ceiling
NFL Pro Comparison
Dawson Knox — athletic, reliable Y-TE with starter floor and red-zone TD production
Mock-Draft Consensus
| ESPN (Jordan Reid) | PFF Big Board | Jeremiah Top 50 | Consensus Avg | Realistic Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #57 | #53 | — | #55.0 | Picks 40-70 |
30-day trend: Stable — TE2
Ranks cross-referenced from ESPN's Jordan Reid top-500, PFF's 2026 Big Board top-200, and Daniel Jeremiah's top-50 (NFL.com). Realistic draft-night range reflects projected team fit and trade scenarios, not just big-board placement.
Advanced Stats & Production
| 2025 PFF grade | 80.8 |
| Yards per route run | 1.96 |
| Run-block grade | 69.5 |
| Contested catch rate | 52% |
| Drop rate | 2.8% |
Metrics blended from PFF grade sheets, school box scores, and Combine/Pro Day box scores. Position-specific: QB shows efficiency + turnover rates, WR/TE show route-running + contested-catch, OL shows pass-block grade + pressures allowed, EDGE/IDL show pass-rush win rate + pressure rate, LB/DB show coverage grade + missed-tackle rate.
Outcome Range
- Floor: TE2 receiving option, 30-40 rec/year
- Median: TE1 starter, 60 rec + 500 yards in his prime
- Ceiling: Pro Bowl Y-TE in a seam-heavy offense
Scheme Fit
12-personnel West Coast / Shanahan tree with seam routes and play-action boots
Pre-Draft Visits
Top-30 visits with the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, and Seattle Seahawks
Signature College Game
2025 vs Alabama: 8 rec, 112 yds, 2 TDs — announced himself as a legitimate NFL TE prospect in a Vandy upset
Sources
Our scouting profile is assembled from these primary sources + cross-checked against ESPN (Kiper / Reid / Miller), PFF's 2026 Big Board, Dane Brugler's The Beast 2026, and Daniel Jeremiah's top-50. See our full methodology and citations.
Day 2 / Day 3 Team Fits
NFL teams that lost a same-position veteran this offseason — and could target Eli Stowers as a Day 2/3 replacement option.
- REPORTED Pittsburgh Steelers: moved on from Jonnu Smith (two-way-TE).
Picks held: R1 #21; R2 #53 - REPORTED Seattle Seahawks: moved on from Will Dissly (blocking-TE).
Picks held: R1 #32; R2 #64
Confidence: "VERIFIED" departures cite a publication URL (Spotrac, OverTheCap, ESPN, NFL.com, team transactions page) confirming the move and date. "REPORTED" entries come from public free-agency trackers without a single canonical source we could attach. Fits are archetype-and-position based; we are not claiming the team has expressed interest in the prospect.
NFL Scheme Fit
NFL Scheme Fit
- Move-Y / H-back / formation-flex offenses
Kansas City Chiefs · Detroit Lions · Philadelphia Eagles · Atlanta Falcons
Scheme matches are bucketed from the prospect's height, weight, and (for WRs) archetype tag against a static lookup of which NFL teams currently run each scheme family.
Rookie Contract & Landing-Spot Outlook
Projected Rookie Contract Value
~$8.0M – $13.0M (4-year deal) · Pick range: #33-64 · ~85% guaranteed
Mid-pick band — guarantee % varies pick-to-pick
Best-Case / Worst-Case Landing Spot
Why: TE listed in their top-5 positional needs; runs a scheme that maximizes his profile.
Year-1 arc: Day-1 starter window with cap-controlled rookie-contract production.
Why: TE not in their stated top-5 needs; runs a scheme that doesn't naturally amplify his profile.
Year-1 arc: Depth-chart competition + special-teams reps as Year-1 baseline.
Contract band uses the 2026 NFL CBA rookie wage scale projected from the prospect's expected pick range; guarantee % is the slot-default at that pick. Landing-spot best/worst case is derived from TEAMS data (positional needs + scheme overlap minus same-position R1 conflicts) — not a claim that either team has expressed interest.
By the Numbers — 2026 Class Context
- Frame: Among 2026 TE prospects, his 6-4 / 240 lbs frame sits at the 78th percentile in height and 30th percentile in weight.
- Position class: Eli Stowers is TE #2 of 23 ranked TEs in the 2026 class. Of those, 2 are projected in the R2 range.
Computed factually from the 2026 prospect class roster — height/weight percentiles benchmark this player against every other ranked prospect at the same position. Recruiting arc compares his high-school 247Sports/Rivals composite to his current projected round.
Eli Stowers’s NFL Archetype: Jonnu Smith
Jonnu Smith (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Closest TE physical profile in the modern NFL: 6-4/240 lbs. Same frame, same role bucket — NOT a talent or career-arc projection.
Note: this is a physical-profile match — frame, position, role bucket. Not a talent or career-arc projection.
Similar Tight End Prospects
Closest matches to Eli Stowers (6-4 / 240 lbs, #2 TE) by ranking proximity and physical profile. SIZE MATCH = within 1″ height and 10 lbs; TIER MATCH = within 2 ranking spots.
- Max KlareSIZE MATCH Ohio State · 6-4/245 lbs · #3 TE · R2-R3
- Kenyon SadiqSIZE MATCH Oregon · 6-3/241 lbs · #1 TE · R1 15-25
- Oscar DelpSIZE MATCH Georgia · 6-5/240 lbs · #5 TE · R3
- Sam RoushSIZE MATCH Stanford · 6-5/250 lbs · #4 TE · R3
- Justin JolySIZE MATCH NC State · 6-4/250 lbs · #6 TE · R3-R4
Vanderbilt & The 2026 Class
Other R2 prospects in the 2026 class
Different positions, same projected draft tier as Eli Stowers.
- Garrett Nussmeier · QB · LSU
- Jadarian Price · RB · Notre Dame
- KC Concepcion · WR · Texas A&M
- Chris Bell · WR · Louisville
- Germie Bernard · WR · Alabama
- Caleb Lomu · OT · Utah