Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers Visits Rams, Titans, Cowboys; Broncos Next
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.
Two First-Round Tight Ends In 2026?
For much of the pre-draft process, a single tight end prospect has frequented first-round mock drafts. Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq has widely been considered the TE1 of the 2026 NFL Draft class with a stellar junior campaign and a promising build. According to Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom, another name may just sneak into the mix for Day 1 consideration.
La Canfora relayed yesterday that multiple executives “absolutely” have a first-round grade on Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers. Behind Sadiq, there’s really not been any consensus on ordering the hierarchy of the next tier of top tight ends. Ohio State’s Max Klare and Baylor’s Michael Trigg are also considered top players at the position.
Sadiq led all NCAA tight ends with eight receiving touchdowns on 51 catches for 560 yards. Stowers led the position group with 769 yards on 62 catches with four touchdowns. Limited to 11 games, Trigg enters the picture when you bring yards per game into account, finishing second at the position behind Stowers thanks to 50 receptions for 694 yards and six touchdowns. Houston tight end Tanner Koziol joins the party with a position-leading 74 catches that went for 727 yards and six touchdowns. Klare shined more during his tenure at Purdue but made several big plays for the Buckeyes this year.
Per La Canfora, one source saw Sadiq as everyone else did, a top-15 pick, but didn’t “see a huge drop-off between him and Stowers and Trigg. Another had concerns about whether some would last as tight ends or have to shift out to slot wide receivers, indicating Stowers posed no such dilemma. That source liked Trigg, too, but noted some character issues may hurt his stock.
There is certainly some talent available at the tight end position, but the distance between TE1 and TE2 — and the identity of TE2 — are still very much up for debate. Stowers, though, is bidding to join Sadiq in the first round.