Eli Stowers isn’t a typical tight end, but he gives the Eagles offense a new dimension

The selection of Eli Stowers with the Eagles’ second-round pick was confusing at first — the organization just re-signed their two tight ends from last season, though neither to a multi-year deal. Still, using their second-highest pick in the draft for a position they don’t need to fill for at least another season isn’t exactly a no-brainer.

But Stowers is a different case; he’s not the typical tight end the Eagles have seen with Dallas Goedert, Zach Ertz, or Brent Celek — he’s smaller, by at least an inch or 15 pounds. And that difference is apparent in both his blocking and his receiving.

At 6-foot-4, 239 pounds, Stowers is without a doubt undersized. He got pushed around in the run game and wouldn’t be nearly as useful as a Goedert or Celek when lined up with the o-line. But who says he has to be used as a prototypical tight end?

Stowers recorded a 45.5-inch vertical jump and a 150-inch broad jump, both the top of his position this draft cycle. His 4.51 40-yard dash placed him in the 96th percentile, and his 1.59 10-yard dash was in the 81st percentile.

While his other metrics may not appeal to the tight end position, his athleticism is clearly his selling point, and also what caught the Eagles’ eye.

With a week one receiving core likely made up of DeVonta Smith, Makai Lemon, and Hollywood Brown, size is not a strength. The inevitable departure of A.J. Brown, a near 230-pound receiver who can still beat a corner over the top, leaves a hole in the receiver room. However, it’s a hole that the Eagles may look to fill with Stowers.

The Vanderbilt tight end caught 62 passes for 769 yards and four touchdowns in his senior season, which earned him the John Mackey Award, college football’s most outstanding tight end award, and the William V. Campbell Trophy, also known as the “academic Heisman.” Additionally, he earned consensus first-team All-America recognition, a step up from his first-team All-SEC honors from the previous season.

The numbers and awards are exemplary of his reliable hands at the catch-point and his ability to line up anywhere and beat almost anyone. The versatility of a 6-foot-3, 239-pound tight end that can beat a linebacker to a spot or out-muscle a collapsing safety is an ability that isn’t tapped into as much as it should be by NFL organizations.

For the Eagles, Stowers will thrive in 12-personnel formations, especially if he’s lined up in the slot and the Eagles are able to option their other tight end as a blocker or receiver. In 2025, the Eagles ranked in the back half of the league in 12-personnel usage at 26%, but their expected points added (EPA) was 28.59, which is in the upper echelon of EPA for 12-personnel.

Notably, their EPA in 11-personnel, which they used 59.31% of plays, was -10.50.

Stowers unlocks a lot of potential for this Eagles offense in 12-personnel, and using him in the slot, rather than on the line, could put opposing defenses in purgatory.

It will also be interesting to see how the Eagles will utilize their tight ends as blockers, because we saw last season that Grant Calcaterra struggled as a blocker, and Stowers doesn’t offer anything in that department either. The return of Ben VanSumeren will certainly ease the pain, but it could be in the Eagles’ best interest to pair Stowers with a true run-blocking tight end in the future.

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