Eli Stowers Dynasty Value: Elite Traits, But is He Worth a Round 1 Pick?

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Eli Stowers Draft Profile        Eli Stowers Combine Results Eli Stowers Highlights

Eli Stowers isn’t your typical tight end prospect, and that’s exactly what makes him interesting.

He took a winding path, starting as a QB, switching positions mid-career, and eventually developing into one of the most dynamic receiving TEs in college football.

Now he enters the NFL Draft as one of the most explosive athletes in the class, backed by elite production and rare movement skills.

The question isn’t whether Stowers can play; it’s how teams will use him and what that means for your dynasty roster.

Because if he lands in the right system, you’re looking at a difference-making fantasy weapon. If he doesn’t, you’re betting on traits over role.

Eli Stowers Dynasty Value

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Eli Stowers Draft Profile

Eli Stowers Combine Results

Eli Stowers College Stats

A Unique Journey to the NFL

Stowers led his high school team to a Texas state title as QB (and added a state championship in the high jump in track season).

He began his college career at Texas A&M as a QB but never attempted a pass before transferring to New Mexico State and switching to TE.

In 2023, Stowers posted 35 catches for 366 yards and 2 TDs, while also adding value as a runner (28 carries, 108 yards, 2 TDs) and even throwing for 99 yards and a score.

From Just a Guy to THE Guy

After just one season at NMSU, Stowers followed OC Tim Beck to Vanderbilt and became a focal point, leading the Commodores in receiving in back-to-back seasons.

In 2024, he earned first-team All-SEC honors with a 49-638-5 line despite inconsistent QB play from Diego Pavia, who completed just 59% of his passes and averaged 176.4 passing yards per game. 

In 2025, Pavia led the SEC with a 70.6% completion rate and 29 TDs. That helped boost Stowers’ numbers to 62 catches, 769 yards (leading all FBS TEs), and 4 TDs. He won the John Mackey Award (nation’s top TE) and earned first-team All-America honors.

Among FBS TEs with 25+ targets in 2025, Stowers ranked:

• second in yards after catch (377)
• third in route rate (90.4%)
• third in yards per route run (2.55)

Stowers sat out Vanderbilt’s bowl game to prepare for the draft and put on a show.

Stowers Demands Attention at the Combine

Stowers was one of the Combine's biggest winners, pairing strong measurements with elite testing.

He set an all-time TE record with a 45.5-inch vertical and posted an 11’3 broad jump, highlighting his explosiveness.

He also posted elite numbers in several other metrics:

• 99th-percentile catch radius (10.72)
• 97th-percentile 40-yard dash (4.51)
• 95th-percentile speed score (114.9)

Add in his QB background and after-catch skills, and you get one of the most athletic and versatile TE prospects ever.

But There’s One Factor to Worry About

Stowers’ elite athleticism is exciting, but he’s lacking in some other areas. He lined up inline on just 21% of snaps for his career and was rarely asked to pass protect (17 total pass-blocking reps across his three seasons at TE.

Stowers did get many more shots at run blocking, but he didn’t do that well. His 51.3 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus in 2025 ranked 184th among 269 qualifying FBS TEs and marked a decline from his also-weak 2024 grade (59.3).

After running 70.7% of his routes from the slot in college, Stowers’ profile points to more of a “big slot” or move TE role at the next level. That profile -- including the lack of blocking -- carries the risk of limiting his playing time in the pros. 

Stowers also managed just a 41.2% contested catch rate in 2025, which ranked 88th out of 131 qualifying FBS TEs with 25-plus targets. Stowers’ career rate looks nearly identical (41.5%), raising a potential issue that could prove tougher to overcome against bigger, faster NFL defenders and smarter defensive schemes that tend to leave more open space.

But before we get further into his NFL projection, let’s dig into how this athletic marvel applied his physical ability on the field. 

Eli Stowers Highlights 

Film breakdown by Shane Hallam

Games Watched: Alabama (2024), Alabama (2025), Auburn (2025), Missouri (2025), South Carolina (2025), Kentucky (2025), LSU (2025), Tennessee (2025), Texas (2025)

Stowers Separates Early and Wins at Catch Point

Stowers bursts off the snap on this play, sells the outside route, and glides back inside past the DB.

The pass floats high on an overthrow, but Stowers turns and high-points the ball for a leaping catch.

Because he rarely saw accurate in-stride passes, Stowers got good at tracking the ball and contorting for catches -- a trait that could keep him fantasy-relevant even without strong QB play.

Catch Technique Makes for Dangerous Red-Zone Threat

Stowers settles into an open zone against Cover 3 and makes a clean catch with good technique here. He extends for a hands catch and secures the ball as he turns upfield, then quickly identifies the DB and sidesteps direct contact.

That lets Stowers lower his pads, churn through contact, and break the tackle for the score.

Stowers flashes consistent catch technique and enough tackle-breaking ability to be a big-play threat, especially in the red zone. That should give him immediate TD upside.

Stowers' Zone Awareness Should Make Him a QB Favorite

Stowers runs a drag from a stack formation in this clip. The shallow route puts him in line with the LBs in zone coverage. He identifies the space behind them and settles there to get open.

Stowers leaps to secure the high pass before the tackle arrives.

His ability to find holes in zone coverage bodes well, with NFL defenses running zone on 69.5% of snaps last season. He could develop into a high-end, zone-beating TE. That would make him an attractive option in the middle of the field, a particularly helpful area for his QB.

Athleticism That Actually Translates (and Why It Matters)

Stowers bursts off the line and clears the defender while tracking the QB on this play. He keeps moving through the catch and secures the ball while accelerating into the secondary.

The TE takes a smart angle to avoid the first low tackle, then fights for an extra 5 yards after the next defender wraps him up.

Stowers shows strong hands and burst on a timing route while adding after-catch value. He brings WR-type athleticism and receiving ability, which differentiates him from most other tight ends and vaults his fantasy ceiling -- as long as he can get enough weekly playing time.

Eli Stowers Team Fit: Kansas City Chiefs 

Tight end might not look like a priority with Travis Kelce returning for his 14th season, but that view would be short-sighted.

Kelce turns 37 in October and just posted his lowest reception total (76) since 2015. This is likely his final season, and Kansas City has no clear succession plan in place.

The pass-catching depth behind him is also fragile. Marquise Brown is gone, and Rashee Rice’s status remains uncertain amid ongoing legal issues. That leaves a thin and volatile group and makes K.C. a prime candidate to target a receiving TE.

Moreover, the return of OC Eric Bieniemy could be friendly to TE playing time. In Bieniemy’s previous stint as the team’s OC, from 2018-2022, Kansas City utilized 12 personnel at a top-5 rate in three of five seasons. 

Even without Bieniemy, Andy Reid has leaned into two-TE sets. Over the past three years, the Chiefs ranked first, fourth, and 11th in “12” personnel usage. That tendency strengthens the case for another TE to carve out a meaningful role.

That type of system could give Stowers some early opportunities while he develops behind one of the greatest TEs in history.

The Chiefs have a pair of first-round picks to address more pressing needs in the secondary and on the D-line, but Stowers would be an intriguing addition in the second round, at 40th overall. That also fits his current projected draft range.

Dynasty Value Conclusion: Stowers Belongs in Round 1 of Rookie Drafts

His weak blocking profile could lead to limited usage, similar to what we’ve seen with players such as Dalton Kincaid, Mike Gesicki, Evan Engram, and Chig Okonkwo. 

Still, the athleticism, production, and versatility are strong enough to keep Stowers the clear TE2 in this rookie class. 

He sits just outside TE1 range in our dynasty TE rankings, with his high ceiling giving him the nod over veterans Jake Ferguson and Isaiah Likely.

The lack of top-end talent at QB and RB in this class pushes Stowers into late first-round territory of our dynasty rookie rankings in both 1-QB and superflex formats. But his landing spot and that team’s plan for him could affect Stowers more than will be the case for some other tight ends.

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Jody Smith, Analyst

Jody Smith has been playing fantasy football for over 30 years, the last 15 as an analyst, writer, and editor. Jody's rankings have been among the most consistent, placing him inside the top-10 in multi-year accuracy.