Eli Stowers

Draft Projection

Measurements

Athletic Testing

College Statistics

Scouting Report

John Mackey Award winner and First Team All-American tight end with a unique background as a former quarterback; an incredible athlete with elite top-end speed and explosiveness for the position. Just two career drops and a smooth route-runner who finds soft spots in zone coverage. Not a strong in-line blocker, with a thin frame that will require significant added bulk at the next level.

Player Comparison

Strengths

• Electric vertical threat who decimates the seam with legit speed, forcing defensive coordinators to account for his presence on every snap.
• Natural hands catcher who absorbs footballs like memory foam, plucking missiles cleanly away from his frame even through contact.
• Former QB background manifests in route intelligence, consistently finding soft spots and settling in zones with savvy beyond his positional experience.
• Creates separation with sudden breaks that leave linebackers grasping at ghosts, showing exceptional twitch for a man his size.
• Dangerous after the catch with surprising wiggle and burst, turns routine completions into chunk plays when given runway.
• High-point specialist who weaponizes his track background, timing jumps perfectly and snatching contested balls at their apex.
• Shows tremendous body control when working the boundary, contorting in mid-air and getting both feet down with ballerina precision.
• Versatile chess piece who can align anywhere in the formation, creating matchup nightmares from slot, inline, or backfield alignments.
• Made the 2025 Feldman freaks list - he wrote:"The 6-4, 235-pounder, a former Texas 6A state high-jump champion, has elite wheels. He broad jumped 11-3 this offseason (up five inches from last year) to go with a 39-inch vertical. His top speed on the GPS was 21.43 MPH. He power cleaned 360 pounds."

Areas to Improve

• Severely undersized frame for traditional tight end duties, gets overwhelmed at point of attack against defensive ends who outweigh him by 50+ pounds.
• Raw technician in blocking aspects who often loses leverage battles, allowing defenders to control him and disrupt running lanes.
• Limited play strength shows up when asked to anchor in pass protection, gets walked back into the quarterback's lap against bull rushers.
• Hand placement in blocking exchanges remains inconsistent, often landing outside the defender's frame and nullifying his already limited power.
• Positional transition still evident in route stems that occasionally telegraph intentions, allowing savvy defenders to jump underneath patterns.