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Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers shatters vertical record at NFL Combine

Grant Grubbs Profile Pictureby: Grant Grubbs5 hours agogrant_grubbs_

On Friday, Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers recorded a 45’5” vertical, the highest ever recorded by a tight end at the NFL Scouting Combine. Stowers also recorded an impressive broad jump, posting an 11’3” mark.

Stowers transferred to Vanderbilt ahead of the 2024 campaign. In his two seasons with the Commodores, he amassed 1,407 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 111 catches.

Prior to transferring to Vanderbilt, Stowers spent one season at New Mexico State and two years at Texas A&M. While with the Aggies, Stowers served as a backup quarterback, but eventually switched his position to tight end.

Stowers was named an All-SEC First-Team selection in each of his seasons at Vanderbilt. Moreover, he was named a unanimous All-American this past season.

Despite Stowers’ success at the collegiate level, not every scout is sold on Stowers’ ability to play at the next level. Ahead of the combine, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein provided an in-depth analysis of Stowers’ game.

“He’s an excellent athlete with long arms but needs to keep filling out his frame. He’s a natural pass catcher with an outstanding catch radius and massive run-after-catch talent,” Zierlein wrote. “While his route-running and contested-catch ability need work, he excels at moving the chains on screens/short catches. He has the speed to threaten downfield against linebackers. His run-blocking ceiling might be low, but his traits create above-average potential as a pass-catching ‘F’ tight end, fitting the growing trend of utilizing two- and three-tight-end sets more heavily.”

Stowers is aware of concerns about his blocking. Earlier this week, Stowers addressed these fears head-on.

“I’ve taken a lot of strides in my run blocking over the last two years,” Stowers said. “I think I’ve gotten a lot better, and I think I continue to get a lot better as well, not just in that aspect of my game, but in every aspect.

“… That was the newest thing to me, newest technique, newest movement, coming from quarterback… That was something you never did as a quarterback. I think that’s something that I’ve gotten a lot better, but I want to continue to try to learn and watch film and hone in on my technique.”

Though Lance Zierlein has concerns about Eli Stowers, he ultimately believes the 22-year-old will become an average starting TE in the NFL. Stowers is seemingly increasing his draft stock with each exercise at the NFL Scouting Combine.

The 2026 NFL Draft will take place from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It’ll be only the second time the city has hosted the draft. The first was in 1947.