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Bleeding Green Nation fantasy football takes on Eli Stowers

Every source-backed article insight STACKED has extracted from Bleeding Green Nation about Eli Stowers.

73
Insights
10
Positive
43
Negative
Insight ledger

All Bleeding Green Nation insights about Eli Stowers

NegativeInjurySep 12, 2026
Rookie tight end placed on injured reserve with hamstring and quadriceps injuries; ineligible to return until after Week 4. Stowers was limited in practice all week with hamstring concerns, downgraded to out on Saturday with both injuries listed. The source notes the timing is curious given Stowers told reporters Friday he expected to play, but he was widely expected to be inactive as the fourth tight end on the depth chart anyway. Stowers struggled to make an impact in training camp and preseason and lacks special teams background (six total snaps over five college seasons), making the IR placement a way to avoid a healthy scratch despite being a second-round 2026 pick.
NegativeProjectionSep 4, 2026
Stowers is a rookie tight end with modest expectations; the track record of rookie tight ends is not promising, and his most realistic chance to reach the field on offense is if something happens to Dallas Goedert. Realistic comps include Elijah Arroyo's rookie season (15 catches, 171 yards) or Terrence Ferguson's 2025 season (11 catches for 231 yards with some big gains). Unless Goedert misses significant time or Stowers demonstrates significant improvement, expectations should be modest.
NegativeRoleSep 3, 2026
Top 60 draft pick who struggled during the offseason before getting injured. The Eagles are being patient with Stowers' development, as both he and fellow Top 60 pick Makai Lemon had limited summers. The Eagles' coaching staff emphasizes a process-driven approach, with tight ends coach Mahaffey noting that growth is not linear and that the team focuses on stacking days and building proper habits. Stowers is expected to improve with time and proper coaching.
NegativeProjectionAug 27, 2026
Stowers is off to a slow start, prompting questions about why GM Howie Roseman chose him given the team's Super Bowl potential. However, Roseman made the move with eyes wide open, valuing Stowers' potential enough to believe he can be an impact player for the Eagles in the future. The issue isn't a lack of talent; Stowers is struggling because he's thinking too much and lacks experience—he's like a young driver who must think about every step rather than playing instinctively. He's shown good effort on special teams and as a blocker, staying late to work on the JUGs machine, and Kelee Ringo believes he will overcome this with more reps, time, and coaching.
NegativeUsageAug 24, 2026
Stowers, the Eagles' second-round pick in 2026 with expectations to become the team's lead tight end in 2027, played only a part-time role in the preseason game against New England. Despite Dallas Goedert entering the final season of his contract, Stowers was used exclusively in 11 personnel during the first quarter while the Eagles used 12 personnel on half of its plays, with E.J. Jenkins and Cameron Latu handling those tight end snaps. Last week, Stowers was the second tight end in 12 personnel behind Grant Calcaterra, suggesting he was fourth on the depth chart. The source states his preseason usage has been 'discouraging' and his dynasty value should continue to fall.
NegativeRoleAug 18, 2026
Offensive coordinator Sean Mannion discussed rookie TE Eli Stowers' development, emphasizing that 'Tight end's a position that requires a lot of versatility' and that the Eagles will 'ask all these guys to be productive players in both phases.' Mannion noted that 'Eli's put a lot of work into improving as a blocker' and that the entire position group has 'a huge commitment to being productive in both areas.' The preseason is being used to evaluate what Stowers and other TEs can do in both run and pass situations.
NegativeRoleAug 18, 2026
Stowers' preseason usage was concerning. The Eagles repeatedly asked a player drafted primarily for his receiving ability to perform difficult assignments as an attached blocker. The source views this as a deliberate preseason test rather than a preview of his regular season role, noting that if the Eagles genuinely wanted a tight end to function primarily as an in-line blocker, they probably would not have drafted someone with Stowers' skill set. His blocking improved slightly as the game progressed, but early results were rough. On one rep, Stowers' willingness concerned the source: he appeared to lack play strength and slowed down before contact with the edge defender, allowing the defender to initiate the collision and drive him back into the running lane. The source noted this goes beyond imperfect technique—Stowers approached the collision tentatively, lost momentum, and gave himself no chance to create power. However, the source also highlighted a strength: Stowers reacted correctly by making himself available as a quick outlet when the Ravens sent pressure.
NegativeRoleAug 10, 2026
Stowers is the third tight end on the Eagles roster, behind Goedert and Johnny Mundt. Bernard observed a bad rep where Stowers dropped the ball after being contacted from behind by Michael Carter II; this isn't the first time in camp that Stowers failed to make a catch upon being met with physicality. Bernard is wondering if Stowers will even be active for Week 1, noting he's not a top two tight end right now. When Bernard asked other practice observers for their thoughts, they agreed that Stowers could be a healthy scratch early in the season. Bernard noted it's not necessarily the end of the world if Stowers can't majorly contribute as a rookie, but it doesn't seem ideal if the coaching staff doesn't trust a second-round pick to suit up for game action. However, Stowers did catch a touchdown pass on a vertical route during a team session between the second-team offense and the first-team defense (though it looked like a busted coverage against the starters).
PositiveRoleAug 5, 2026
Rookie tight end Eli Stowers is showing strong zone coverage understanding and third-down potential, according to Sirianni. The head coach praised Stowers' ability to read defenses and find soft spots in zone coverage, positioning himself correctly at the right time. Sirianni also highlighted Stowers' athletic ability, quickness, speed, and explosiveness as assets that will help him create separation on third-down situations against man coverage. Sirianni stated: 'I think Eli has a really good feel for the zone, of where to sit in zones, and how to get open versus different types of zone coverage. We know that his athletic ability will [help him] shake free on third down when it is man coverage because he's quick, he's fast, he's explosive. But what I've been impressed with him is just his ability to kind of read defenses and find the areas of the zone where he needs to sit and be at the right spot at the right time.'
NegativeDepth ChartAug 2, 2026
Second-round pick Stowers has been down the depth chart at tight end and has yet to showcase his playmaking skills. He was working on blocking with the offensive line while other tight ends like Dallas Goedert, Johnny Mundt, Grant Calcaterra, and Cameron Latu were doing route-runner drills with the quarterbacks, suggesting blocking is the more underdeveloped part of his game. It's been a quiet start to camp for Stowers, and he hasn't been involved in packages with the first-team offense as expected.
PositiveRoleJul 30, 2026
The second-round tight end is positioned to fill the pass-catching vacuum left by A.J. Brown's trade to New England. At 6-4, 239 pounds, Stowers feels more like a supersized receiver than a traditional tight end. A converted quarterback with rare athleticism and the reigning John Mackey Award winner, he wasn't drafted to be an in-line blocker. New Eagles OC Sean Mannion could deploy the rookie in a playmaking role to complement veteran Dallas Goedert and blocking tight end Johnny Mundt in multi-TE formations.