The Philadelphia Eagles knew this was a vital offseason for them, but that didn't stop them from taking a chance on tight end Eli Stowers. Philadelphia used the 54th overall pick in the second round on Stowers, but it's been a rough start for the rookie.
He hasn't been able to make plays in practice. Fans should temper their expectations for him in 2026 and are better off thinking he could potentially do something in 2027 and beyond. Jimmy Kempski of The Philly Voice wrote an article discussing how rookies have looked through camp, and the reports on Stowers aren't the best.
"Unfortunately, throughout camp Stowers hasn't shown much to get excited about as a receiver or as a blocker. He has not exhibited the explosive traits that are in his body, he has sometimes looked tentative as a blocker, and he simply hasn't made catches further than, like, 10 yards down the field. The guess here is that Stowers is swimming mentally, trying to learn an offense while acclimating to the speed of the NFL," Kempski wrote.
"But for now, Stowers is unplayable, and likely to be a gameday inactive.... Maybe the light will come on for Stowers at some point during the season, but I think the more realistic hope is that he's a positive contributor in 2027 and beyond," Kempski added.
With training camp nearly over and the regular season around the corner, there isn't much hype around the rookie. It seems increasingly likely he'll be a non-factor in 2026.
Eagles may have to wait until 2027 to see Eli Stowers pay off
That sucks and isn't what you want to hear about your second-round pick, yet there were some question marks around Stowers coming into the league. His athleticism is through the roof and played a role in why he was drafted so high.
At the NFL Combine, he broke records with his vertical leap (45.5") and broad jump (11'3"). In addition, he ran a 4.51 40-yard dash. He can fly and soar through the air, but that hasn't translated on the field thus far.
He's listed at 6'3" and weighs 239 pounds. Many people believed he was more of a big receiver than a tight end. He isn't known for blocking, but as a tight end in the NFL, you need to do both.
Stowers has struggled in that area, and it looks like the mental part of the game has the upper hand. If a player isn't confident upstairs and knows where/what to do, coaches won't trust him enough to put him out there. And that seems to be the case here with Stowers. To make matters worse, he's dealing with a hamstring injury he suffered in the preseason game against the Patriots and is missing valuable practice reps.
There is a learning curve he needs to clear before he can crack the rotation. Thankfully for the Eagles, they still have Dallas Goedert in the fold. Yet at the same time, Goedert is injury-prone and has missed at least one game over the last seven years.
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Johnny Mundt and Grant Calcaterra are ahead of Stowers on the depth chart. That shows how little the rookie has done this summer. This season will focus on developing the Vanderbilt prospect, with hopes he can be a solid contributor in 2027 and beyond. Anything before that seems unlikely as things stand.
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