The Philadelphia Eagles were able to add two more players on the second night of the NFL Draft. Tight end was a position that could have used an influx of youth with Dallas Goedert returning on a one-year deal, and they did exactly that when they drafted Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers with the 54th overall pick.
While he may not be the typical in-line tight end, he's a weapon that will be at Philadelphia's disposal in 2026 and be able to make an impact immediately.
Eli Stowers Is Poised to Make an Impact for Eagles in 2026
Stowers is listed at 6'3" and 242 pounds. He needs to get better as a blocker, but he's already an explosive pass catcher. At the NFL Scouting Combine, he set a tight end record in the broad jump (11' 3") and vertical jump (45.5"). He also ran a 4.51 40-yard dash. Those explosive traits popped up on testing and were a very common theme on tape.
Stowers excels at attacking the seams with the ball skills to go up and snag the pass. His catch radius will make Jalen Hurts happy and is a weapon against defenders. Over the last two seasons with Vanderbilt, Stowers has 111 receptions, 1,407 receiving yards, nine touchdowns, and 12.7 yards per reception.
When taking a look at the Eagles' depth chart at tight end behind Goedert, things look appealing to Stowers. Grant Calcaterra, Stone Smartt, Jaheim Bell, E.J. Jenkins, Cameron Latu, and Johnny Mundt are the other players under contract at tight end, but none of them did enough to stop the front office from using a top pick to add to the room.
And with it looking like A.J. Brown's time in Philadelphia is set to come to an end, the Eagles will need to find other pass catchers to fill the void. Makai Lemon, Dontayvion Wicks, and Hollywood Brown were added to the receiver room, but the mismatches that Stowers can create against linebackers and safeties are huge.
Not only will he be able to make an impact Day 1 as a pass catcher, but Goedert has also missed some time in each of the past seven seasons. Having quality depth behind him was a necessity for this Eagles roster, and makes this Stowers pick that more exciting.
Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion is coming from Green Bay, which ranked fifth in the NFL in 12 personnel (33.76%) last season. Adding Stowers will give him the flexibility to do so and is yet another reason why he will get on the field in 2026. The Eagles used the 54th pick on Stowers for a reason, and fans should expect to see him make an impact early and often.
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