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In four of the last five years, college football has sent a tight end to the first round of the NFL Draft. The results, from Brock Bowers to Kyle Pitts, have been a mixed bag.
Positional value debates have raged on, partly due to the different archetypes at the position. It seems every team needs an athletic mismatch threat over the middle of the field, but others, like 2025 first-round pick Tyler Warren, had impressive blocking skills to boost their stock.
Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers isn't as versatile as Bowers. He isn't as freakish as Pitts, despite how things have turned out, either. And yet, as one of the top tight ends in the 2026 class, he's making a play for Round 1.
Can Stowers crack Round 1?
If Stowers is going to be the class's top tight end, it's going to be on the back of a promising athletic profile and the ability to impact the passing game.
At 6'3", 235 pounds, Stowers profiles more like a power slot receiver than a traditional tight end. Last season, he played 72.2% of his snaps from the slot, the highest rate of any tight end with at least 50 targets -- 10% greater than the next qualifier (per Pro Football Focus). He's occasionally used as a boundary receiver and was put into motion a good bit.
As a separator, Stowers does his best work underneath. His acceleration stands out in the slot, and he does a good job against press coverage when necessary. He can explode laterally and is particularly strong on slants and other underneath routes.
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After the catch, he's smooth and decisive, flaunting vision and the same athletic traits that make him dangerous.
Stowers has long speed to his name, too. It's enough to threaten downfield, and he frequently showcased good fluidity on deep over routes. At the catch point, he dropped a single pass in 2024 but was far less consistent in contested-catch situations. While sample sizes make most contested-catch rates more noise than substance, the lack of play strength throughout his game makes it something to monitor as he enters his final college season.
The cost of Stowers' passing-game prowess is unsurprisingly his ability to impact the run game. He's a poor blocker, both in-line and in the slot. Vanderbilt (who isn't exactly stocked with NFL talent) wasn't afraid to take him off the field, playing Stowers on approximately 60% of offensive snaps.
What must Stowers prove in 2025?
Stowers is limited, but that doesn't have to hurt him if his role is optimized in the NFL. In a slot-only role, he can still make a real impact in the passing game, much like many of the game's premier tight ends. Not everybody can be George Kittle, but making good on an early-round investment means Stowers must out-produce his weaknesses.
There's room for him to grow in 2025 and more than enough time for him to take the steps necessary to go in Round 1. As a receiver, that starts with being more physical at the catch point, making the most of his impressive catch radius and not letting defenders impact his routes as much past the sticks.
Likewise, refining his route running in the intermediate and deep parts of the field can allow him to tap into the upside of his athleticism. Underneath, it's easy to funnel him targets and watch him make plays after the catch. He's less refined downfield, and one would expect his size to play up more than it does.
In the run game, it's unrealistic to expect him to forge some overwhelming development into a high-level blocker. But if he can be merely passable for the ground game, it would go a long way in keeping him on the field and keeping his offense less predictable.
Stowers projects like an Evan Engram-type threat, capable of Pro Bowl seasons but also burdened by his limitations. If he can toe the line successfully, he could play himself into Round 1, but the current state of his game resembles a Day 2 prospect.
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