This Eagles rookie is one of the most important players in 2026

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The Philadelphia Eagles are less than a month away from the start of training camp. We’ll be counting down the 25 most important Eagles for the 2026 season.


25. Marcus Epps


24. Jake Elliott


23. Eli Stowers


The Eagles have established stars returning at most positions entering the 2026 season. At tight end, they have longtime starter Dallas Goedert coming back for a ninth season.


But Eli Stowers was drafted in the second round to be Goedert’s eventual replacement and the Eagles’ tight end of the future. So it’s important that we see at least flashes of that in 2026.


Stowers, the No. 54 overall pick out of Vanderbilt, is a bit of a project. He started his college career as a quarterback at Texas A&M before an injury forced him to change positions. After a successful transfer stint at New Mexico, Stowers emerged as a force for the Commodores.


Stowers won the Mackey Award, given to college football’s top tight end, after racking up 62 catches for 769 yards and four touchdowns last season. He was a big-play threat over the last two campaigns for Vanderbilt, giving SEC defenses fits.


Stowers’ film and testing results at the NFL Combine excited scouts. Some in the NFL draft community even compared him to Eagles legend Zach Ertz.


Of course, that comparison might not show up right away. Stowers will need time to develop as a blocker. And standing at 6-foot-3, 235 pounds, he’s a little light by NFL standards.


Stowers is also coming off a quiet spring. He didn’t make a strong impression during the first three practices open to the media and missed the last day of mandatory minicamp with an apparent leg injury.


It helps that Stowers isn’t expected to take over this season. Goedert, who has five seasons of trust built with quarterback Jalen Hurts, is back on a one-year contract after a career year. The Eagles also signed veteran Johnny Mundt as a blocking tight end.


But the Eagles will likely run more 12 personnel (two tight ends) sets under new OC Sean Mannion. So as a pass-catcher, Stowers will have a chance to make an impact.


The Eagles are -145 on BetMGM to win over 9.5 regular season games for next season. Our complete BetMGM Sportsbook review provides a guide on how to use their app. Also, take a look at our NFL futures betting guide to learn more about betting on NFL futures.


And the Eagles are confident that Stowers can follow in the footsteps of Goedert and Ertz — both now and in the future.


“He has this ability to change direction and to accelerate and to catch the ball consistently. That’s unusual for that position,” head coach Nick Sirianni said. “He’s fast. He’s quick. He can catch the ball well. And he’s still growing and learning in the position because there’s still some newness to him playing that position.”


“Getting here and taking that next step of really being a full-time tight end, he’s done an unbelievable job so far,” passing game coordinator Josh Grizzard said. “I look forward to that continuing and finally getting into camp and getting it rolling.”

Eagles News​

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• Jason, Kylie Kelce raise over $1 million for Eagles Autism Foundation Jul. 1, 2026, 8:52a.m.
• This struggling Super Bowl champ is one of the Eagles’ most important players in 2026 Jul. 1, 2026, 6:00a.m.
• Eagles star retains trust after a down year, but coach warns: ‘There’s a line we cannot cross’ Jul. 1, 2026, 6:00a.m.

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