While the Philadelphia Eagles signed not one, not two, not even three, but four tight ends in free agency, adding Johnny Mundt and Stone Smartt to a room that also features returning players Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra, the smart money was always on the team finding their next long-term prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft, where a half dozen players projected to go in the first three rounds.
With a massive win already on his resume by stealing Makai Lemon from the host Pittsburgh Steelers, Howie Roseman decided to add another electrifying playmaker on Day 2, selecting Eli Stowers out of Vanderbilt 54 overall.
Breaking down the decision on the NFL Network, scout Daniel Jeremiah highlighted just how big Stowers could be for the Eagles’ offense, comparing his game to the soon-to-be-departing AJ Brown.
“He plays a little bit like AJ Brown, in terms of what he can do out in the open field,” Jeremiah said. “You see him running here at 239 pounds. He ran just around 4.5 flat and jumped over 45 inches. He’s got unbelievable ability to adjust with his hands down the field. He can really pluck, absorb contact, those combat catches, as we call them. He’s adept at those. And then the route polish, this is a receiver route. This is not someone who’s running a route like a tight end. He’s got real great feel for it.”
Is Stowers a complete player right away? No. Despite his electrifying stype of play as a psuedo receiver lined up in the slot, he isn’t a great blocker and only became a full-time player at the position at New Mexico State in 2023 after spending time at quarterback with Texas A&M. But with Goedert in place as a veteran presence in 2026, all Stowers really needs to do is what he does best: make plays with the ball in his hand. Give him some time to learn the position, grow into his body at the NFL level, and watch the Eagles add another serious weapon for the middle of the field for years to come.
“He plays a little bit like A.J. Brown.” — @MoveTheSticks on new #Eagles TE Eli Stowers, who’s a TE/WR hybrid. pic.twitter.com/IQpmTS3lvY
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 25, 2026
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