What position will Eli Stowers play in NFL? Why Vanderbilt tight end is being considered to play WR

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What position will Eli Stowers play in NFL? Why Vanderbilt tight end is being considered to play WR originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Eli Stowers is no stranger to a position change with his versatile skillset. In high school, he was a four-star recruit at quarterback while also winning a Texas state championship in the high jump.

He alternated between quarterback and tight end in his first two years at Texas A&M, hardly seeing the field. After transferring to New Mexico State, he completed four passes at QB, but largely played tight end.

In his two years at Vanderbilt, he was almost exclusively a tight end, with the exception of one completed pass in 2024. This went for a touchdown, meaning that Stowers has 5 completed passes at the collegiate level, with two going for touchdowns.

Now, Stowers may be undergoing another position change to wide receiver. Here's everything to know about the tight end's transition.

MORE: The Sporting News' full seven-round mock draft

What position will Eli Stowers play in NFL?​

It remains to be seen where exactly Stowers will play, as different NFL scouts appear to be projecting him at different positions.

Some see him as a tight end, the position he played for the back half of his collegiate career. Other scouts see his 40-yard dash time, as well as his athleticism and vertical jump as the perfect build for an NFL wide receiver.

NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah scouted for three NFL teams and compared Stowers' number most closely to WR DK Metcalf. This occurred during a telecast of the NFL Scouting Combine prior to Stowers' 40-yard dash time. But his pace only furthered the WR comparisons.

Eli Stowers 40 time​

Stowers ran a 4.51 in the 40-yard dash, which lands him in third among tight ends, with Kenyon Sadiq running a 4.39 and RJ Maryland also running a 4.51.

Compare this number to wide receivers and Stowers would rank No. 27 out of 35 wide receivers.

MORE: Diego Pavia's full NFL combine results

Eli Stowers stats​

While Stowers did attempt 10 passes in total, he was primarily a tight end. Here's a breakdown of Stowers' stats across his three college stops.

Year	Games	Receptions	Yards/Reception	Receiving & Rushing TD	Rushing Yards
2021	3	0	0	0	0
2022	2	0	0	0	0
2023	15	35	10.5	4	108
2024	13	49	13.0	5	7
2025	12	62	12.4	4	2

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