The New York Giants could be very dangerous on offense in 2026 and they are widely expected to build and add talent quarterback Jaxson Dart as he enters his second year.
But what does that look like?
If they don’t want to field a traditional offense, Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers could be squarely on the Giants radar this year.
Stowers started his career as a “dual-threat” quarterback at Texas A&M before transitioning to tight end and transferring to New Mexico State and then Vanderbilt. Stowers is also a track athlete and served as a versatile offensive weapon after leaving TAMU. His blend of athleticism and traits could make him this year’s verson of Harold Fanin Jr.
Prospect: Eli Stowers (9)
Games Watched: vs. South Carolina (2025), vs. Alabama (2025), vs. Missouri (2025) vs. Auburn (2025)
Red Flags: Knee (torn PCL and meniscus – 2019)
Measurables
Height: 6-foot-4 (unofficial)
Weight: 235 (unofficial)
Strengths
Best traits
- Athleticism
- Versatility
- Route running
- Ball Skills
- Yards after the catch
Stowers is an athletic and highly versatile tight end prospect. Stowers played all over the Vanderbilt offense, lining up as an in-line and detached tight end, in the backfield, as a big slot, as an X and Z receiver, and in bunch sets. He was frequently set in pre-snap motion, and is a dangerous receiver from every position at which he lines up.
Stowers runs a varied route tree that attacks the short, intermediate, and deep areas of the field. He’s a capable route runner with the athleticism and football IQ to use the stems of his route as a weapon, and understands how to find voids in coverage. His athleticism also allows him to be a threat as a ball carrier on screens or down the field in space.
He has excellent ball skills, doing a great job of locating, tracking, and making adjustments to the ball in the air. Stowers is a “hands” catcher who seldom leaves his feet when making the catch unless absolutely necessary. Instead, he routinely extends to maximize his catch radius and plucks the ball out of the air. He has very good body control to make tough catches as well as the awareness to get a foot down on the sideline.
Weaknesses
Worst traits
- Play strength
- Blocking
Stowers’ most glaring weakness is in his play strength, and by extension his blocking. Stowers simply isn’t a powerfully built player and is built much more along the lines of a big receiver than an undersized lineman. He’s a willing blocker, but lacks the mass or play strength to hold up anywhere in the tackle box.
He shouldn’t be asked to block on the play side of a running play, or be a key part of pass protection. Stowers is a capable move blocker on the back side or perimeter, but shouldn’t be relied upon to open a hold or hold up against a front seven player in pass protection.
Game Tape
(Stowers is the Vanderbilt TE/HB wearing number 9)
Projection
Stowers projects as an important and versatile rotational player at the NFL level.
He has the potential to be a good value on the second day of the draft, although he won’t be for every team. Stowers would have very limited appeal to teams that run a very high rate of 11-personnel packages. He should not be used as a classic “Y” tight end and has very limited utility as a blocking tight end.
Stowers will likely slot in as an “offensive weapon” TE 2 or an H-Back for a team that uses a high rate of 12 or 21-personnel sets. His ability to line up across the offensive formation as well as be an effective motion player would give an offensive coordinator a lot of creative freedom to create and exploit matchups.
Does he fit the Giants?
Possibly, depending on their offensive scheme
Final Word: A Day 2 pick
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