Vanderbilt tight end **Eli Stowers** changed everything at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Stowers entered Indianapolis as a mid-round prospect. Then he tied the Combine record with a 45.5-inch vertical jump.
The jump matched only star edge rusher **Cameron Wake** and thrust Stowers into elite athletic territory. His performance came moments after tight end Kenyon Sadiq had set what appeared to be a new position record at 43.5 inches.
Stowers is now grading out as one of the most athletic tight ends ever tested. He measured 6-foot-3 and 239 pounds with 32.625-inch arms and 9.625-inch hands. His 4.51-second 40-yard dash couldn’t match Sadiq’s blazing 4.39 time.
But Stowers’ broad jump was equally impressive – an 11-foot-3 mark that shows off his explosiveness.
Athletic Comparisons
**Evan Engram** represents the clearest comparison for Stowers’ skill set. Engram ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash with a 93rd-percentile broad jump during his pre-draft process.
He’s become one of the most prominent tight end-receiver hybrids in recent memory. Engram runs routes on 90% of passing plays with heavy slot usage and occasional reps split wide.
Stowers plays similarly, bursting down the seam and making plays on shorter targets. Both players share the same limitations too.
Stowers is a well-below-average blocker who won’t be asked to handle that responsibility at the next level. That means he must excel as a receiver because he’s essentially one in every way except his positional designation.
**Zach Miller** offers another strong comparison with his 9.45 Relative Athletic Score – just 0.01 behind Stowers’ mark.
Miller measured 6-foot-3 and 233 pounds while running a 4.53-second 40-yard dash. He may have been ahead of his time, but his athleticism never translated to significant production. Miller was stuck as a second or third tight end on multiple teams and topped out at 486 yards in 2016.
That represents a potential floor for Stowers.
There’s a scenario where Stowers doesn’t maximize his receiving ability. Defenses have never been more prepared for athletic tight ends who blur positional lines. Stowers could end up as a second tight end who only sees the field on obvious passing downs.
**Mike Gesicki** would represent a better outcome for Stowers. At 6-foot-5 and 247 pounds with a 4.54-second 40 time, Gesicki is slightly bigger but creates mismatches similarly through speed and vertical skills.
Gesicki has produced two seasons with at least 700 yards and three with at least five touchdowns. He’s established himself as a reliable secondary option in passing attacks. His size plays in the red zone, and that speed translates to explosive plays when given opportunities.
Draft Projection
Stowers’ fate remains complicated despite his athletic tools. It’s difficult to envision him getting enough playing time to become a primary option in any passing offense.
That reality limits his draft stock and keeps him in the mid-Day 2 conversation with room to fall to early Day 3.
The days of teams falling in love with raw athleticism are largely over. Still, Stowers’ skill set has value, and his Combine-record athleticism will catch someone’s attention.
Some team is bound to fall in love with the upside.
