Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq has the athletic profile of a wide receiver, which is one of the primary reasons he has emerged as a consensus first-round prospect. Another tight end getting looks as a receiver is Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
“While officially he’s a TE, several teams are evaluating him as a WR,” Rapoport writes. This comes after Stowers set a Combine record with a 45.5-inch vertical jump and ranked second among this year’s participants with a 11-foot-3 broad jump. Among tight ends, his 4.51-second 40-yard dash and 1.59-second 10-yard split trailed only Sadiq, who posted 4.39-second and 1.54-second times in each category.
While those are impressive numbers for a tight end, Stowers’ speed is relatively average for a receiver, and without agility testing, it is unclear if he can separate from cornerbacks on the outside. More likely, he is a big slot rather than a legitimate wide receiver, though splitting him outside for red zone targets could yield some touchdowns.
Stowers has been making his rounds around the league in advance of April’s draft with visits to the Rams, Titans, and Cowboys already completed. A trip to Denver is scheduled for next week, Rapoport adds.
The Rams have plenty of tight end depth with veterans Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen, and Tyler Higbee. 2025 second-rounder Terrance Ferguson underwhelmed as a rookie but could certainly take a step forward in his second season. It’s unclear, therefore, where Stowers would fit in, unless Los Angeles is one of the teams who sees him as a receiver. They do not have much depth behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams and could see Stowers as a versatile weapon to add to Sean McVay‘s offense.
The Titans let Chig Okonkwo walk in free agency and instead reunited former Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger with new offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. But Bellinger has just 88 receptions for 934 yards in his career, so Tennessee could certainly stand to add an exciting young prospect to Cam Ward‘s supporting cast.
The Cowboys have Jake Ferguson signed through 2029 and did not use multiple tight ends at a high rate last year, but they could also see Stowers as an overall pass-catching addition who can complement CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens in the slot.
Evan Engram disappointed in his debut season as a Bronco and is entering his age-32 season, so Denver may be looking for a long-term successor. They do not have a first-round pick, keeping them out of the running for Sadiq, but could pounce on Stowers on Day 2.
No mention of Helm?