Eli Stowers

The Eagles took Eli Stowers in the second round of this year's NFL Draft, 54th overall. Stowers won the John Mackey Award last year as the best tight end in college football, finishing his senior year at Vanderbilt with 62 catches for 769 yards and four touchdowns. Stowers had a 27% target rate last year and averaged an impressive 2.55 yards per route run. And like fellow rookie TE Kenyon Sadiq, Stowers is an athletic marvel. Stowers ran a 4.51 at the combine, and the former Texas state high school high-jump champion had a vertical jump of 451/2 inches. The 6-4, 239-pound Stowers might not be heavy enough to play as an in-line tight end, which could potentially limit his snaps. It's hard to project big things for Stowers in his rookie year when his usage and role are uncertain, but his athleticism and college production suggest he's capable of big things sooner or later.

The big question for Stowers is how much his blocking will hinder him as a full-time player in the NFL. With the NFL moving toward higher usage of 12/13 personnel, is Stowers a player whose receiving ability forces teams to feature him in an every-down role, or will he be capped as a 50-60% route per dropback player? Stowers can function as a passable inline blocking option currently, but his technique has to improve in the NFL. He won't be a player that an offensive coordinator is expecting to operate as a pulling or lead blocker in the run game, or someone who is holding a pass rusher at bay for 4-5 seconds on a passing play. Stowers plays through contact during routes well and in contested catch situations. He has smooth hips and change-of-direction ability. He has the speed to threaten a defense down the seam while also flashing good ball tracking. Stowers flashes high-end route-running chops at times, but he has to improve his play-to-play consistency in this realm. With some routes, you'll see the route nuance with jab steps, taking advantage of a defender's leverage, and sharp footwork at the top of a stem, but he'll also string together plays where the salesmanship is lacking and inefficient footwork at the top of his stem, where defenders are in his back pocket. Stowers has to continue to improve his release package, hand-fighting, and route running if he's going to be an option as a mismatch weapon on the perimeter. He can get open against physical zone coverage when dealing with defenders with built-up steam, but corners pressing him at the line can hang him up. He has the athleticism and play strength to improve in this area, but it's growth that will need to take place in the NFL to actualize his true ceiling. Dynasty Outlook: The Eagles drafted Eli Stowers in the second round of the NFL Draft wth the 54th overall pick. He is the heir apparent to Dallas Goedert, who is back with the team on a one-year deal. Stowers, with this landing spot and strong draft capital, has vaulted to my TE1 in rookie drafts. I'll look to draft him at the back end of the first round in all formats.