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SCOUTING REPORT

1-year starter at tight end in his third year at the position at two different schools after beginning his career as a backup QB in the SEC. Undersized combo athlete with explosive traits and smoothness in and out of breaks to present a matchup problem for the defense. He rarely puts anything on the ground and he's good with the ball in his hands. There's just not enough evidence on tape that he'd be anything but a complete non-factor right now as a blocker, and that one-dimensional game makes him a bit-player for most offenses and an Impact Role Player for a creative OC. At his best, he can be a dynamic receiving threat and 1b player on the depth chart in the right situation, but there's a better chance that he lands with a coach that struggles to find ways to incorporate him into the gameplan on a meaningful basis unless he can prove that he has what it takes as a blocker. The lack of special teams reps will make the needle even tighter to thread if he's third or fourth on the depth chart. Draft slot will be important because that will grant him a longer leash, but he needs time to develop. Patience is likely required here.

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👤 BACKGROUND

• Pronounced ‘st-OW-ers’
• From Denton, TX (Dallas-Fort Worth metro)
• Was a 4-star QB recruit at John H. Guyer High School (1 NFL alum)
  • Also ran track in high school; won the 6A state title in the high jump
  • Committed to Texas A&M over offers from Auburn, Arizona State, Clemson, Baylor and others.
• In 2021 he redshirted his first season under center at Texas A&M, participating in three games but deep on the depth chart behind starter Zach Calzada and backup Blake Bost
• In 2022 he was again buried on the depth chart behind Haynes King, Max Johnson and Connor Weigman for the Aggies, participating in just two games as a redshirt freshman
• Transferred to New Mexico State after the season and started being used in more creative ways alongside NMSU starting QB Diego Pavia
• In 2023 he played in every game and earned four starts, but as a hybrid quarterback/tight end, catching 35 passes for a pair of touchdowns while also rushing 28 times for over 100 yards and another two scores
• Followed coach Jerry Kill and quarterback Diego Pavia from New Mexico State to Vanderbilt in 2024, this time as a full-time tight end.
• In 2024 he earned 1st-Team All-SEC honors, leading the Commodores in receiving in his first year full-time at the position while starting five of 13 games, including a six-catch, 113-yard performance in the upset win over Alabama
• In 2025 he
• Named a Team Captain as a fifth-year senior
• Accepted an invitation to the 2025 Shrine Bowl before deciding to return for a fifth season of eligibility
• Invited to the Scouting Combine
  • Did everything but the shuttles
  • Did not do field drills

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🏃‍♂️ PHYSICAL TOOLS

• Solid height with a very lean frame
• Fluid athlete. Can sink his hips into break points and get in and out fast. Straight-line juice is there as well, especially in a short area.
• Has explosive traits; there's a second gear on tape, especially in space with the ball in his hands
• Lack of bulk shows up on contact; gets stood up by LBs at the second level. Gets blown up by defenders downhill. At best will stalemate safeties.
• Was named to Bruce Feldman’s ‘Freaks List’ in each of the past two seasons as one of his Top 100 athletes in college football. Numbers to support that assertion include a 135-inch broad jump (better than any tight end drafted in the last ten years), a 41.5-inch vertical leap, and a 21.4 mph mark on the GPS.

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🏈 PASS GAME

• Still working his way through running routes from a mental and technical standpoint. Tools are there, so flashes are strong, but not consistent yet. Runs arrow and over-and-back routes really well.
• Really fluid pass catcher; looks confident and comfortable at the catch point. Will go up and attack it; capable contested catch guy.
• They gave him the ball on screens, shovels and pitches on Triple Options; they like his YAC ability. Can do a better job of staying grounded on the move more consistently. </aside>

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🏈 RUN GAME

• Not only did he rarely play in 11 personnel, but in heavy personnel run downs, he was not always on the field
• Not going to provide much as an in-line presence; NFL DEs would eat him up
• On the move in the run or screen game he has improved to the point where he is passable. Will work to lock onto smaller defenders and run his feet but his wins were only sprinkled in. College LBs and DBs still made quick work of him too often. </aside>

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🏈 USAGE / PLAY PERSONALITY

• Wing / Move TE in 12 personnel. Flexed outside at times. Was not an every-down player, even as a 5th-year senior.
• He has shown improved willingness as a blocker this season, but defenses are going to make him prove it and blocking will still never likely be a strength of his game
• No special teams background, which is important for a backup TE
• Offers fun gadget flexibility because of his QB background; creative OCs can get good use of him if he's active. </aside>

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📊 NUMBERS THAT MATTER

• Had the most 3rd Down conversions in the country the last two seasons combined

• Career 2.34 Yards per Route Run is above the 90th percentile among charted TEs drafted in the last decade, with only 10 players producing at a higher rate; nearly every single one of them went on to be starters or impactful backups

  • Harold Fannin JR, Dallas Goedert, Adam Trautman, Brock Bowers, Harrison Bryant, Caleb Wilson (the lone exception), Mark Andrews, Isaiah Likely, Gerald Everett, Kyle Pitts

• Posted the highest vertical jump by a TE at the Combine since at least 2003 (and tied for the second-highest by any player in Indy in that span)

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🗯️ WORD ON THE STREET

• “It was a pretty easy evaluation. The tape popped for a guy that was new to the position. The way he moved on film was impressive. These tight end profiles through the NFL Draft, so many of them played quarterback in high school or were a basketball star. You have these crazy diverse profiles. Eli matches that.” - Vanderbilt GM Barton Simmons in October 2025
• “He crushed the drills and ran crazy fast. He’s a better receiver than Sadiq as far as movement and hands. He just has a better catch radius and hands than Sadiq. Neither one will give you much blocking. Stowers’ catching is what caught my eye. He’s got long-ass arms (32 5/8 inches) and he’s tall. He can catch. If somebody’s covering him he can still just go out fast and get the ball. I don’t see that in Sadiq.” - Anonymous NFL Scout to Bob McGinn
• “He was super hungry in 2024. He almost beat Alabama singlehandedly. I think he saw it as a chance to play in the SEC and show people what he had. This year he didn’t show that hunger until later on in the year. They got away from using him as a blocker and I don’t think it helped his game necessarily. He got out of the flow a little bit. There’s not a whole lot he can’t do. He definitely can block in space. He has shown he’s more than tough enough. He has really skilled eyes and hands. He can run after the catch. I think everybody feels he’s too small to play tight end but I don’t see that. I see a guy maturing into a role. I mean, he was a quarterback. I’d say he’s a top-50 player, for sure. To me, he’s a top 25.” - Anonymous NFL Scout to Bob McGinn
• “He’s intriguing. He’s more of a glorified wide receiver disguised as a tight end. I think he’ll make it somewhere. He could go second or third round because he tested well but he’s not going to be much of a blocker.” - Anonymous NFL Scout to Bob McGinn
• “Really, really athletic. That’s kind of his calling card. He’s a smooth athlete, runs well, has good receiving skills. Pretty poor blocker. He’s a quarterback converted to tight end so that kind of tells you where the blocking’s going to be. I thought third round but he may go higher than that.” - Anonymous NFL Scout to Bob McGinn </aside>

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👥 PLAYER COMPARISON

• WORKING COMP:
• OTHER NAMES IN CONSIDERATION: </aside>

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