FITTING THE NFL MOLD

   Stowers has the height teams look for at 6’4” but he is only 239 pounds and Vanderbilt didn’t even pretend like they were going to use him to block. The most likely outcome for Stowers to have success at the next level is converting to a WR or purely an out-wide TE. Stowers was more productive throughout his college career and while he doesn’t have the same athletic measurables as Sadiq, he is also a freak athlete. He has a 95th percentile speed score, 99th percentile catch radius, and a 100th percentile burst score. The only concern for Stowers is his lack of blocking ability but for fantasy that is a non issue.

WATCHING THE TAPE

   Stowers is a very athletic TE who has rare playing speed for the position. He is a natural catcher of the ball and will run through defenders who don't wrap him up when attempting to tackle him. He has great contact balance and keeps his legs churning to pick up extra yards and give him a 2nd chance at making a move. The biggest knock against him is his size. He is not a blocker and will not have any success at the next level unless he puts on a ridiculous amount of muscle.

THE LANDING SPOT

   Landing in Philadelphia is a really interesting long-term spot, even if it may not be an instant redraft smash. The Eagles have felt like they have been inching toward life after Dallas Goedert for a while now, and Stowers gives them a different type of weapon to develop behind him. He is not your classic in-line tight end, and that is part of what makes the fit exciting. Philadelphia has the offensive line and overall structure to survive with a tight end who is used more creatively, whether that means flexed into the slot, detached out wide, or moved around pre-snap to create matchup issues. Honestly, I still think a full-time or partial conversion to wide receiver is on the table for Stowers because his game feels more like a big receiving weapon than a traditional hand-in-the-dirt tight end.

   The downside is that his rookie-year path could be slow. Goedert is still there, and Grant Calcaterra is probably more trusted right away as the prototypical tight end who can handle the traditional responsibilities of the position. That likely means Philadelphia can afford to let Stowers sit, learn, and develop instead of forcing him into a full workload immediately. For dynasty, that is not a bad thing. He gets to grow in one of the league’s better offensive environments while the Eagles figure out exactly how they want to use him.

WHERE TO DRAFT HIM

Stowers should be an early 2nd round pick in dynasty leagues and shouldn't be a consideration in redraft leagues.

Player Comp

Mike Evans