BOOM: Eli Stowers VAULTS Up NFL Draft Boards After Historic Combine Showing

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1:03We're cheering together. This winter, we're all on the same team, Comcast, proud partner of team USA. Eli Stowers and Diego Pavia participated in the NFL draft combine. Did they raise their stock? Did they skyrocket? You are locked on Vandy, your daily podcast on the Vanderbilt Commodores, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, your team every day. Hey, what's up everybody, welcome into another edition of the Lockdown Vandy Podcast, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network, the number one sports podcast network in the world. I'm your host Corey Burton and on today's episode, we're going to talk a lot about the NFL draft combine. Eli Stowers and Diego Pavia participated last week in the NFL draft combine. What did that event do for their stock?

2:06Did it improve it? Did it stay the same? Did it skyrocket any downgrades? We'll talk about how that potentially affects their stock and what they have to do heading into pro days as a part of this draft process. I thought Diego Pavia threw well. I think there's a lot of differing opinions there. Eli Stowers delivered stellar performance at all of his testing numbers. We'll talk about that as well as we roll on here on the Lockdown Vandy Podcast, part of the Lockdown Podcast Network. Like I said, thanks for making us your first. Listen, this episode is brought to you by Fandall. Fandall's giving you a way to turn that energy into even bigger potential wins with a college basketball parlay profit boost. Head to Fandall.com to get started. Now, at the NFL draft combine, Eli Stowers was one of the surprises I think of the combine because not a lot of people anticipated his numbers were going to be quite that good like the number one tight end in modern combine history since 2003.

3:10There hadn't been a tight end to jump 45 inches since then, maybe ever. I don't know. He's tied for first in the highest vertical leap, 45 and a half inches. Kenyan Sedic was that until Eli Stowers jumped at 43 and a half, but Eli Stowers outdid him by a couple of inches and man, that was impressive, 11. Did that as well in the broad jump, 11 feet, 3 inches in the broad jump for Eli Stowers compared to Kenyan Sedic's 11 feet, 1 inch broad jump. And then Sedic got him in the 40 yard dash. Sedic ran a 439, Eli Stowers ran a 4.5. So again, two really great prospects at the tight end position. I think this shows you just the development overall of this position, I mean, two of the best prospects in this draft, two of the most athletic tight ends to enter the NFL are

4:12these two. I think for Eli Stowers, that stellar performance really elevated his draft stock. I think he's a lot of GMs, a lot of scouts, a lot of front office people are now writing his name down and saying, I don't know if we actually need him, but we could find a role for somebody that athletic, we can create some mismatches and find a way to get him integrated into the game plan and make it a nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators. I know the Broncos and Sean Peyton love that kind of player. He's that kind of joker type position where it's not a true tight end. He can do some tight end things, but he's also just kind of a weapon, a joker or whatever you want to call it, they have unique names for for those positions. But it's going to be interesting now to see where he goes because I think a lot of people had Eli Stowers in those way to early mock drafts, mocked in the first round towards the first round, Philadelphia, Denver, like those type places. And then there are some things that came out kind of down the road that there's varying

5:17different evaluations of Eli Stowers, maybe he's not fast enough to create mismatches. He's kind of a missing, a lost puzzle piece, so to speak. And teams weren't going to be sure what to do with him because he has just enough athletic ability to be a weapon, but not quite good enough to be that premier guy. So you didn't really know where to slot it. But I think after this weekend, Duke and Jump has NBA level vertical leap, has a lot of burst as evidenced by the broad jump and also can run the 40 at four or five, which for a tight end is is is moving, not quite as fast as Kenyan Cedique, but both of those guys are extremely explosive. And Cedique was the number one tight end in this draft, unequivocally like there was no questions. There was never going to be any questions. He was always the number one guy. I think I think Eli Stowers planted himself as the number two option.

6:18Now where that number two option goes, and we'll kind of talk through that here in just a little bit. But also Diego Pavia through at the Combine and Pavia had an interesting combine because he threw, I thought he threw well. But also he did some interviews and those were kind of odd. Those were kind of whatever you want to call him. He had some odd answers that people reacted to. I think he was joking, but people don't really get the joke and you know, some of those things can go over people's heads sometimes. So, and I wasn't sure how to take it. The frontal lobe comment where he said you're, I've got 365 days before I mature, you know, I don't know if people knew what to do with that comment. I self included, but honestly, I think it's a big nothing burger, but I think people like to like to pick out some things with that. And of course, anytime you throw in the Combine, it's always tough for quarterbacks to throw because it's so inconsistent because you're throwing to people you've barely met.

7:21You don't know how they break where they like the ball. You don't, there's a lot of things you don't know. You just have to kind of do the best you can. You're going to miss some targets, you're going to, you know, but I thought he threw well overall. I mean, obviously his deep ball is probably not quite where teams would like it to be, but honestly, I don't, and a lot of people think Diego hurt his draft stock. I don't think he hurt it. I don't think he necessarily helped it a ton. I think he just kind of stayed right where he was. I think with his throwing performance, I thought it was good. I thought it proved that he can play in this league, but obviously not as a starter. I don't think, but he will make a roster. He will be somebody that is going to be, could possibly be in the NFL for, for quite some time, kicking around on some rosters and kicking around the backup circuit. But I mean, the dudes, the dudes a gamer, he's tough, he's competitive, he's somebody that's a connector that's going to connect locker rooms.

8:22And some of the intangible stuff, I think, is going to make him valuable. Some of these teams, I don't know that somebody's going to come up in day two and grab him. I'd be surprised if they did. I never thought that, you know, at five, nine, that's, that's a tough thing to do. You have to be supremely gifted and just elite at a lot of things. And I don't think Diego's elite at a lot of things for the NFL level. I think he was in the elite college football quarterback, he was a Heisman finalist, led Vanderbilt to all, to just about all the success that they had. He was the, he was the guy taking the snaps, obviously, to team sport. But again, I don't think he heard his draft stock. I don't think he helped it. I think he kind of just stayed kind of in that day three, late, day three range of kind of the same place. He kind of the same thing he did at the senior bowl, you know, he would, it was one step forward, one step back, just kind of standing in the same place. He would make progress to show that he, that he could do it. And then he would, you know, things would happen based on his limitations.

9:23And it was just kind of, kind of that back and forth. And say what you want to say about him, but he's going to end up on a roster. If you get him in camp and you get him competing, I, to me, I feel like it's going to be hard to cut him. I really think it's going to be hard to cut him. I think he's going to make it hard to cut him. You're going to get him in some preseason game and he's going to lead some come back and guys are going to like having him in the locker room, things like that. So for, for that sake, he's probably going to end up on a roster. He's going to be competitive. He's somebody that he has to start or if he has to play, I don't think he's going to, I don't think he's going to kill you. I think he's going to be able, I don't think you can start 18 games in the NFL. But I also don't think he is somebody who is going to be cut after training camp and never hurt from, again, either, which, which is a dependent of a lot of people. So I guess people would disagree with that notions up. The performance is so far for Eli Stowers and the Combine for Diego and Senior Bull and Combine. What does it do to their draft stock?

10:24Well, I'll talk about that next. Stick around us a lot, John Bandy. Oh, could this vintage store be any cuter? Right. And the best part, they accept discover, accept discover in a little place like this. I don't think so, Jennifer. Oh, yeah, huh. Discover's accepted where I like to shop. Come on, baby. Get with the times. Right. So we shouldn't get the parachute pants. These are making a comeback. I think discover is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide based on the February 2025 Nielsen report. Hey, this episode is brought to you by Fandall. Yeah, college basketball is nonstop big games, tight spreads, momentum swings, every single night from early tip offs to late night, West Coast shootouts. There's always action on the board. And now Fandall is giving you a way to turn that energy into even bigger potential wins with a college basketball parlay profit boost. You can build any college shoots parlay you want, rivalry games, ranked matchups, whatever

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13:29Few things are as uplifting as the greatest moments in sports. And nothing brings us together quite like team USA at the Olympic winter games from NBC Universal's iconic storytelling to the innovative technology across Xfinity and peacock. Comcast brings the Olympic Games home to America, sharing every moment with millions. When team USA steps onto the world stage, we're not just watching. We're cheering together. This winter, we're all on the same team. Comcast proud partner of team USA. What are sports portrayed like markets? Now you can put your sports IQ to work in real time with Robin Hood prediction markets. It's not you against the house. It's you participating in a live market. You can buy or sell your positions live all game long. You can use your sports knowledge in moments that matter. Robin Hood prediction markets changes the game. It's people moving the action. So when momentum shifts, you can move with it. Always knew the game, but never had a dynamic way to apply that knowledge.

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15:31What do they need to do ahead of pro day to ensure that they can elevate their draft stock? Is best they can ahead of April's NFL draft? So for Eli Stowers, man, I think for his stock, to be it, I think it went through the roof. I think it was already high. I think he was already kind of a late second round, early third round, somewhere in that ballpark coming into the combine with his natural talent and the tape that he had on film for the Scouts. I think he was right there. I think he was the second or third best tied in in this draft based on what he did. It Vanderbilt alone, the mismatches he created, some of the plays that he made in the ability and the type of player that he brings. To the table for any organization, I thought he kind of fit into that range right there because he wasn't a true tied in. He was a true wide receiver. He was kind of that in between. So those in between guys, offensive defense or whatever,

16:34those guys tend to get drafted day two as they're sealing unless they're just super elite and then they can get draft in the first round. But they tend to get drafted day two or later. But for Eli Stowers, I think jumping an NBA vertical at 45 and a half inches, I think parod jump, 11 feet, three inches on that shows his explosiveness, the 40-yard dash, I think kind of goes with it. But what they're really looking for, he's fast enough. That 40 time is fast enough to wear. If you have a jump ball in the end zone, you got a guy with a four, you got a guy who's, who's his height, 64, 65 can jump 45 inches. You're going to draft that because when you get down to the red zone, it's about mismatches, it's about matchups, it's about creating those type of situations to where you get him on a safety or you get him on a shorter corner. And you can just throw it up there to the back pile on and watch him go get it.

17:34That's something that NFL GMs, that's something that had coaches and scouts and everybody involved in the organization is going to want to see. So I think just posting those numbers, I have peaked the interest of a lot of these GMs. And I think people are rearranging their draft boards at the tight end position to say, okay, what is our tight end situation like? Do we need Eli Stowards as he fit? And you got head coaches scrambling now to say, okay, this is how he fits. Let's go get him. And I could see him now at the upper part of round two with a possibility of jumping into the back end of the first round. Like I think he's kind of in that range where he was mocked at the beginning of the season or during the summer. So it's interesting to kind of see how Edden flowed his draft stock because I think his stats were driving a lot of that narrative. His stats weren't out of this world stellar because teams were game planning for him. I think some other things, some other people emerged for Vanderbilt.

18:38So his stats weren't what people thought they should be. But it's not about stats, it's about traits. It's about what you bring from a matchup perspective. So if you're explosive, if you're athletic, and you can bring something to the table that's unique, which Eli Stowards does, that's going to make you valuable. And I think whichever team draft seems going to be lucky. And if it's the Broncos, I wouldn't be surprised because they, I think he's a better version of Evan Ingram in that type of role. Like, or if the Falcons ever decided to move on from Coppits, if they wanted to back up for Coppits, or somebody that is kind of an insurance policy for Coppits, that would be a guy for them to draft the Titans. Could draft a guy like that to pair with Gunnar Helm to kind of give you that dynamic one to punch at the tight end position. You, I mean, you draft Jeremiah Love with the fourth overall pick. I mean, you've got yourself a pretty explosive offense there for Cam Ward and this new coaching staff. So it's going to be interesting to kind of see where Eli Stowards goes.

19:39Now, as far as Diego Pavia goes, I think six round, six seventh round, it is somewhere that I think fits him pretty well. I think some team will want to jump in there and take a shot at seeing what he can provide to their roster. I don't know that anybody's grading him as a starter quality. I don't think that was ever a case because of just the attributes he has at the NFL level. I just don't think will necessarily translate. Now, people have doubted him before and he's proved a lot of people wrong throughout his entire journey, but there's a cap to that, honestly. And for Diego Pavia, I think there's going to be a handful of teams that saw the Heisman thing and it's like, we're not going to mess with him. It doesn't matter. We're not going to mess with him. There's a handful of teams that are like, okay, we'll take a look at him. I think he did enough to Garner day three status. I think he did enough to show that he can make a roster as a backup quarterback, third string, second string,

20:39fighting for that quarterback to roll in a stable system. Like, I think if he goes to an organization that's kind of off the rails, it's not going to be good. Like, if he goes to the Jets, like, I don't think that's a good fit for him because that organization's a mess. New York will eat you alive as well from a media perspective. So I don't know that going there would be a great move for him. Now, he doesn't have control of that unless he signs as a free agent, but I don't know that would be a good environment for him. I think going somewhere with a more stable organization would be the best route if he can choose. Or that'll be the best route for him to be successful. Now, if somebody drafts him that's not a great organization, obviously he can't control that. But it's going to be interesting kind of see where he falls and what people think of him as they evaluate the entire thing because there's aspects of him that teams aren't going to like. They're not going to like his confidence, his arrogance, I guess you could say. There's going to be teams that don't think

21:42he's a worthy quarterback from the throws that he made and from the time he spent in the senior bolt. Like, he's not somebody that's going to electrify you down the field. He never was, never will be. But he's scrappy, he can make plays, he can move the chains, he can do a lot of different things for you. Except he's not going to hit an alarming rate of deep balls on you, especially at the NFL level. But if a team is okay with that as a backup quarterback, then I think he'll be a good fit somewhere. But he's a good locker room guy, I think. I think his teammates love him. I don't know that everyone in the media loves him, but his teammates love him. He's a guy that's going to come in fight hard. He's going to do all the right things from the practice perspective. So I think guys will respect that. But it's just a matter of can these GMs and scouts and stuff. What are they going to do in this process to evaluate that? Because he's not in a position where he's going to get these top 30 visits where he made, I don't know. I mean, teams might be a couple of interested teams

22:43that want to talk to him and do some digging and just to see, hey, do we want to take a chance on this dude? But as far as he goes, I think six or seventh round, he's going to fight his way onto a roster. And I think he'll be kind of like fight year to year to be on a roster. He might be on four or five different teams throughout his career. But I think he's going to kind of kick around the league as a backup. He might get a few snaps here and there. He's going to be a preseason marketing guru. Like he's going to throw him out there in these preseason games. And there's going to be a lot of people that come and watch him because he's a lightning rod. But I think, you know, everyone has a ceiling. I think that's his. And I love Diego. I appreciate what he did for Vanderbilt. And he had a stellar career here in two seasons at Vanderbilt. And he won newcomer of the year. He was a Heisman finalist. He was, you know, SEC offense player of the year. Like he had a lot of accolades at Vanderbilt. But then, you know, of course, there is a ceiling for quarterbacks. And there's a very obvious hard ceiling for quarterbacks in the NFL.

23:47Some of the most successful ones don't do well. And that's OK. That's not a bad thing. But I just think that's where his ceiling is. We'll see where it'll be interesting to see kind of where he goes in this April's draft. So I'm kind of curious with that. But although they both did well, Eli Stowers, obviously, he blew the roof off of the building with his performance. I think a lot of people, I wasn't shocked. But I think a lot of people were with how much. I was kind of surprised at the number. I didn't know it was going to be quite that high. But again, it's a situation where, you know, he really, really helped himself tremendously. But good for both of them. We'll see kind of how the draft process rolls out. For pro day, I just think for Diego, he's just got to show that he can be good enough with the deep ball accuracy. I think some of those throws are really good. And a couple of those throws were right on the money. But I think the consistency of those throws are going to be what affects him. It's not necessarily his, he can make that throw. It's just Kenny make that throw consistently

24:48because he has to put so much more into it than some of these other guys. So that's a factor. Kenny make those throws on the out routes. You got to have a lot more velocity on the ball with these NFL defenders. So he's got to improve on that. Eli Stowers, somehow improve your numbers. I don't know how you do that. Your numbers are already stellar. Just have a good pro day. Stay healthy. And I think he will get, I think Eli Stowers is in line for a really good career, really nice career in the NFL. And I think some of the other guys that are draft eligible as well can find their way on roster. It's like Jordan White. I think it's going to be a really good center for somebody. I don't know why he didn't get invited to the combine, but at pro day he's going to surprise a few folks. And I think he's going to work his way on some draft boards at the center position. I think he's going to have a really nice career as a center in the NFL. So that being said, thank you for watching. Thank you for tuning in. Thank you for making Lockdown Vandy part of your day. Leave your comments down below. What is their draft stock? How do you see it? How do you see it shaken out?

25:49Did you think Eli's draft stock skyrocketed? Did Diego Pavia do anything to help himself? What do you think? Where do you predict they're going to go? All of that. Answer all those questions right down below. You can find the show on social media, at Lockdown Vandy, wherever you get your podcast as well. And make sure you enjoy the show. We're going to talk basketball as well. Baseball as it continues to roll on spring practice is right around the corner. So that's coming up. That would be something that is going to be an exciting topic. Because we finally get some football. We finally get to see episode one of the Jared Curtis era. So that's going to be cool. And just make sure you stay tuned. Keep it locked right here. Unlocked on Vandy. Enjoy the Everydayers Club. Make it down. Peace. Freight rail does more than move goods.

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28:54And nothing brings us together quite like Team USA at the Olympic Winter Games. From NBC Universal's iconic storytelling to the innovative technology across Xfinity and Peacock, Comcast brings the Olympic Games home to America, sharing every moment with millions. When Team USA steps onto the world stage, we're not just watching. We're cheering together. This winter, we're all on the same team. Comcast, proud partner of Team USA.