Eli Stowers NFL Draft Profile - Rookie Film Analysis

Oct 25, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores tight end Eli Stowers (9) makes a catch against the Missouri Tigers during the second quarter at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Film Profile | Analytical Profile

Prospect Information

College: Vanderbilt
Height/Weight: 6'4"/239
Hands: 9 3/4"
Age: 23 (at the time of the 2026 season opener)

Important NFL Combine/Pro Day Numbers

40-Yard Dash: 4.51
Vertical Jump: 45.5"
Broad Jump: 11'3"
20-Yard Shuttle: N/A
3-Cone: N/A

College Production (Stats)

Profiles similar to:Calvin Johnson

Plays similar to: Kyle Pitts

Position-Specific Attributes and Grades

Note: my usual format (citing examples for each attribute) does not display well on the site. Please click this link to access them.

Positives

• Winner of the William V. Campbell Trophy (a.k.a. Academic Heisman) who just happens to be an absolute freak show of an athlete with a ridiculous catch radius.
• Safe to say he was underutilized in college — especially in the red zone — since there is not a linebacker, cornerback or safety in the NFL capable of reaching the vertical plane that he can.
• Quarterback background gives him an advanced understanding of where to be against zone coverage and when to get there.
• While his ability to force missed tackles is a bit disappointing, he flashes immense upside after the catch.
• Played mostly in the slot in his college career (70.7%) but lined up just about everywhere a tight end can line up (out wide, slot, in-line, backfield).
• Did not begin playing tight end until 2023 (was once a four-star quarterback prospect), which makes the John Mackey Award winner's rise to a first-team All-American in 2025 all the more special.

Negatives

• Does not play to his measurables nearly enough; a player who profiles like Calvin Johnson should dominate just about every matchup he sees in college football.
• Drop rate was a manageable 6.1% in 2025, but that mark was nearly triple what it was over his previous two seasons.
• A bit timid finishing on the ball in traffic, which contributed to his stunning lack of success (12-for-32) on contested catches in his two years at Vanderbilt (33.3% in 2024 and 41.2% in 2025).
• Has trouble sinking his hips enough to make quick cuts at the top of his route (especially on the perimeter); this may not matter all that much against many NFL linebackers, but it will be a problem if/when he faces bigger cornerbacks or safeties.
• Blocks like a former quarterback; the desire to block is there most of the time, but he is not strong enough yet in his upper or lower half to sustain it.
• Somewhat concerning injury history: two shoulder injuries - one each in high school and college - that led to his transition to tight end and MCL/meniscus tears (high school).

Bottom Line

It speaks volumes when a player is so freaky that his athletic comp is at another position. More amazingly, the comp is no slouch: Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson. Perhaps it is easier to begin with what Stowers is not. While he has the frame to add another 20 pounds fairly easily, he has a long way to go before he is even an average blocker; this is not someone who is going to block a defensive end or linebacker in the run game anytime soon. It is even debatable if he has the technique or ability to negate an aggressive safety right now. He is also not an X receiver (he is not physical enough at this point despite his size) or even a Z receiver (not quick enough) at the next level either.

What he is might be just about everything else on a football field. It would be one thing if he only boasted 96th percentile speed OR if he didn't just prove he was the most explosive (vertically) tight end prospect in Combine history. He is BOTH. The NFL is full of great athletes, but the lower end of those great athletes typically play the positions that will be defending Stowers the most. Outside of a player like Nick Emmanwori, what linebacker or safety can hope to defend a player who can catch a ball that may be 12 feet off the ground? Most linebackers don't run as fast as Stowers, so how are they going to keep up with him down the seam? Outside of his insane athleticism, his value in the NFL will come as a result of his versatility and the headaches he presents to defensive schemes. Is he a big slot? What if he lines up in-line in 12 personnel and basically forces the defense to put a linebacker on him? If they put a safety on him in those situations, what does that do to the run defense and/or a team's ability to defend the deep ball? Can a defense put a corner on him if he lines up out wide? Fortunately for Stowers, he may be entering the league at the right time. With the NFL embracing 12 and 13 personnel more than it ever has, Stowers has as good a chance at becoming a player who plays 50-60% of the snaps than he might have even five or 10 years ago. There is a real possibility that he is nothing more than a slightly better version of Logan Thomas (one of the better super athletic quarterback-to-tight end transitions in recent history). However, there is a slightly better chance that he redefines what is expected from a "F" tight end if someone from the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay coaching tree gets their hands on him, especially considering how much he is lauded for his work habits.

This article originally appeared on The Huddle: Eli Stowers NFL Draft Profile - Rookie Film Analysis