Eagles Could Play Second-Round TE Eli Stowers at WR

Some believe the Philadelphia Eagles got a steal in Round 2 of the 2026 NFL draft when they selected Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers.

Stowers is explosive like a receiver, has great run-after-the-catch ability, has a wide catch radius, and he can take a short pass and turn it up-field for a big gain. He's not quite the athlete or is as chiseled as Kenyon Sadiq is, but he may be a better pure pass-catcher.

If the Eagles didn't grab Stowers with the 54th overall pick, he likely wouldn't have lasted much longer before hearing his name called.

While Stowers will likely slot in behind Dallas Goedert as Philly's TE2, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler recently speculated because of his unique skillset and size (he's 6-foot-3 and 239 pounds), the Eagles could experiment with playing Stowers as more than just a tight end.

"Second-round tight end Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt) was widely considered TE2, but multiple teams viewed him as a big wideout, similar to Michael Pittman Jr.," Fowler wrote. "That will give Philly flexibility in how it uses him. A few teams had knee concerns with Stowers due to a past injury, but by all indications the Eagles did not, and the issue is considered minor (he was durable throughout college)."

With A.J. Brown expected to be traded after June 1, having the flexibility to play Stowers inside at TE or slide him over into the slot as a receiver is a great luxury for the Eagles.

The team also drafted USC standout Makai Lemon with the 20th overall pick, and pairing him with Stowers, DeVonta Smith, Marquise Brown, Dontayvion Wicks, and Elijah Moore gives Philadelphia a potentially lethal passing attack if quarterback Jalen Hurts can find his pre-2025 form.

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This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 4:05 PM.