There have been plenty of raving reviews coming out about Philadelphia Eagles second-round pick Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers after being selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Eagles got their tight end of the future and a potential elite offensive weapon who will get it done on and off the field. Former Eagles wide receiver and Stowers' former Vanderbilt coach, Jordan Matthews, went on Philly sports radio to give the fan base more insight into what kind of player they are getting.
"The offense, [Offensive Coordinator Tim] Beck had going through his college tenure, it was mostly triple option," Matthews said via 97.5 The Fanatic. "When I got there I brought in some pro-concepts, ‘Hey this is what we did for me and [Zach] Ertz when we were in the slot' because Eli [Stowers] can kind of do what both of us do, almost a mix. I brought in some stuff we did with the Niners, and we incorporated some of those, and it would always end up working…and sure enough the games got tighter Eli got better, but he stayed the same. I shouldn’t even say he got better, because he was always going to produce that way, we just to use him more and he was going to be ready. He doesn’t complain, he doesn’t show frustration, the kid is stoic, he’s raised correctly, I can’t say enough good things about him”.
Jordan Matthews sang the praises of Eli Stowers after a successful college career
Last season, Stowers had 62 receptions for 769 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 12.4 yards per reception. He also came away with many accolades as a unanimous All-American selection, first-team All-SEC selection, and took home the John Mackey Award for being the nation's best tight end.
It's clear that Stowers will eventually replace Dallas Goedert as the starting tight end, with the two pairing up for 2026. After that, Stowers will take over full-time, and Goedert will most likely sign elsewhere in free agency unless he takes a massive pay cut from the Eagles.
Stowers is not like the typical Eagles tight ends they have selected in the second or third round in recent years. His 4.51-second 40-yard dash time gives them an athletic, speedy weapon who could play receiver as well as get his hands dirty in blocking.
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The Eagles have had some great tight ends of the past with Goedert, Ertz, and Brent Celek, but Stowers is a different kind of weapon they haven't had before, leaving the possibilities endless for what could come of his time in Philly.
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