Eli Stowers: Broncos' Potential Mismatch Maker

0:00On March 28, Eli Stowers is turning heads as a tight-end prospect in this year's NFL draft, and he could be a sneaky pick for the Denver Broncos if the board shakes outright. This guy's journey is wild. He started as a top high school quarterback, sat behind others at Texas A&M, switched to tight-end at New Mexico State. Then blew up at Vanderbilt over two seasons. There he hauled in 112 of 152 targets for nine touchdowns, finishing his career with 146 catches, 1,773 yards, and 11 scores at 12.1 yards per grab. What makes him pop is his athleticism as a big slot tight-end, creating mismatches against linebackers and safeties. He's got a smooth route tree, quick separation, burst after the catch, and natural hands with a huge catch radius thanks to his leap. That old quarterback background helps him find soft spots in zone coverages, and he's shown steady improvement since only playing tight-end a few.

1:00Years. On the flip side, Stowers struggles big time as a blocker-lacks technique, effort, and even gets pushed off routes by physical corners. He's on the lighter side under 240 pounds, had more drops last year, and offers zero special teams value. His routes need polishing for consistency, making him more big receiver than true inline tight-end right now. For the Broncos, with Evan Angram's contract down to its final year, Stowers fits as a potential slot weapon and future replacement. He wouldn't fix their inline needs immediately, but a limited role could let him develop while learning the offense. Scouts rank him as the top big slot tight-end, number 46 overall, with a solid second-round grade, keep an eye on him, come draft nine, Broncos. Fans, this could be the mismatch maker they've been missing.