Eli Stowers Becomes Dallas Goedert Replacement for the Eagles

By Shane Hallam | Updated on Sat, Apr 25 2026 12:51 AM UTC

The Philadelphia Eagles selected Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers in the second round with the 54th pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. A four-star QB recruit in the 2021 class, Stowers made the move to TE at New Mexico State in 2023. He finished that year with a 35-366-2 receiving line before transferring to Vanderbilt. He immediately emerged as the Commodores’ top target, leading the team with 49 catches, 638 yards, and 5 TDs in 2024. Stowers was even better this past year, posting a 62-769-4 line and winning the Mackey Award as the top TE in college football. His 2.55 yards per route ranked second among 99 FBS TEs with 30+ targets. Stowers looks like an excellent athlete on tape and confirmed that with a 9.42 Relative Athletic Score at the Combine, highlighted by a 4.51-second 40 time and 45.5-inch vertical. The question with Stowers is how he’ll fit in an NFL offense. He’s light in the pants at 6’4, 239 pounds and struggles to hold up as a blocker. He played just 38% of his snaps in-line over the past two seasons. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport even said in the lead-up to the draft that some teams were evaluating Stowers as a WR. It’s also worth noting that Stowers has suffered a pair of significant injuries:

Torn PCL and meniscus in his left knee in 2019
Torn labrum in his shoulder in 2021

What They're Saying

Draft Sharks Rookie Guide: “He explodes off the line and moves smoothly through breaks. That quickness helped him uncover consistently and serve as a safety valve for QB Diego Pavia. He brings mismatch potential as a receiver. His inexperience shows in his route detail and blocking. Still, his growth curve offers long-term fantasy upside.”

2026 Fantasy Football Impact

The Eagles brought back TE Dallas Goedert for another year. But, Goedert dealt with injuries in 2025 and turns 32 at the end of this upcoming season.

Stowers profiles as a pass catching first TE who will likely excel as more of a slot receiver for the Eagles. They also drafted WR Makai Lemon in the first round and are expected to trade away WR A.J. Brown.

Goedert will likely be the starter for now to open the season. But in 12 personnel, the Eagles could certainly play Stowers in the slot with DeVonta Smith and Lemon on the outside. If injuries hit Goedert again or Stowers shows the ability to play in-line, he could pass Goedert before the end of the season.

Ultimately, Stowers isn’t a redraft option except in Best Ball and deeper leagues.

Dynasty Impact

The long term outlook for Stowers is bright. Goedert will be a free agent after this season and Stowers can move into the starting TE spot in 2027.

His pass catching prowess makes Stowers an ideal fantasy investment. He certainly can be a top-12 TE option when he takes over as the starter.

Stowers becomes a surefire first round rookie pick in TE premium leagues. In 1-QB leagues, he could be considered toward the end of the first round.

Learn more about Eli Stower’s Dynasty Value

Shane Hallam, Writer

Shane has over 20 years of experience creating content and playing every fantasy football format, including redraft, dynasty, devy, C2C, IDP, CFF, and more. He is a multi-year winner of $500 dynasty leagues on the FFPC and a King's Classic Champion. Shane utilizes deep film and scheme study to enhance his fantasy performance. He led the industry in 2024 preseason Kicker Rankings and ranked second in preseason QB Rankings. He also ranked eighth in preseason IDP rankings.