Eli Stowers could be Chiefs' ultra-athletic understudy for Travis Kelce

It feels like Chiefs Kingdom has been talking about replacing Travis Kelce for years, and now that’s becoming accurate. No matter what your feelings are on Noah Gray, he can’t be viewed as the long-term replacement for Travis Kelce. Gray’s 21 catches for 178 yards in 2025 aren’t going to clear the threshold for a TE1. The Chiefs found themselves in a familiar place once again, with Travis Kelce leading the team in all major receiving categories, even at age 36.

Another issue facing the Chiefs offense is the lack of depth at receiver and the lack of size. For a long time, Travis Kelce functioned as a bigger-bodied passing option for the team. They could use him as a backside iso in a formation. Now that he doesn’t have the same agility, he can’t win like that as a true receiver. Add in the latest dose of Rashee Rice drama, and the Chiefs’ receiving depth looks quite thin (literally and figuratively) for 2026 and beyond.

Perhaps the best path to help solve both issues is getting a tight end who can do a little bit of both. Yes, they also need better blocking tight ends to help improve the run game, but those players typically go on Day 3 of the draft each year or come cheap in free agency. Getting an athletic, versatile tight end who can function like an X or Z receiver might be the best of both worlds.

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NFL Draft Profile: Eli Stowers, Tight End, Vanderbilt

Age: 22 (on draft day)

Height: 6-4 (listed)

Weight: 235 LBS. (listed)

Tape Exposure: Missouri (2025), South Carolina (2025), Vanderbilt (2025)

Shades of: Orande Gadsen II

Eli Stowers' background

Raised in Denton, Texas, Stowers attended John H. Guyer High School, where he took on the role of quarterback for the school’s football team. During his junior season in 2019, he earned District Co-Offensive MVP honors after putting together an impressive year. He threw for 2,969 yards and 36 touchdowns through the air and also made a major impact on the ground, rushing for 1,166 yards and scoring 11 additional touchdowns. He was also a high school state champion track athlete in the high jump. He was originally recruited as a quarterback prospect rated four stars by 247Sports. In January 2021, he committed to Texas A&M.

After appearing in a few games as a backup quarterback for the Aggies, he entered the transfer portal and committed to New Mexico State. There, he began his transition from quarterback to tight end. He finished the season with 366 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He then entered the portal again as a three-star tight end prospect and committed to Vanderbilt to finish out his career with Diego Pavia. Stowers finished as an All-American in 2025 and finished his two seasons at Vanderbilt with 1,407 yards and eight touchdowns.

Eli Stowers' strengths

Athletic Mismatch

Stowers moves well for most receivers, let alone a tight end. His long speed is good enough to threaten vertically on seam routes, and his agility makes him a threat out of the slot. Stowers is ranked 15th on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks list for his 11-3 broad jump, 39-inch vertical, 360-lb. power clean, while being clocked at over 21 MPH on GPS tracking. He’s more athletic than most linebackers but big enough to control corners.

Catch Point

Despite being late to catching the ball at the position, he has only five career drops. He is a natural hands catcher who snatches the ball away from his body. Fairly strong in contested catches with a 41.5% contested catch rate. He really displays that high-jump athleticism.

Yards After Catch

Quick and shifty after the catch and durable enough to break tackles. His 6.1 yards after the catch per reception are among the best in the class at tight end. He has plus long speed for the position. He makes the most of finding zones underneath and getting downhill quickly.

Eli Stowers' Weaknesses

Negative in Run Game

He is not going to be used in-line as a Y tight end. Poor hand usage as a blocker and weak at the point of attack. He can struggle as a blocker in the screen game as well.

Route Running

Not an overly nuanced route runner, with some wasted movement in his routes. He sees the field well in zone as a former quarterback but can struggle against man coverage.

Is Eli Stowers the proper understudy for Travis Kelce?

With the consensus top tight end being Kenyon Sadiq, there’s a question to be answered about who is next to come off the board. Stowers won’t fit every team or every scheme because of his limitations as a blocker. Having him and Kelce on the same roster definitely limits what you can do. However, Kelce doesn’t need to be playing 81% of the offensive snaps.

So in Year 1, can Stowers spell Kelce as the movable mismatch weapon? It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have him learn for a year behind Kelce as well. Stowers has big upside in the right hands, and the Chiefs have shown they can develop tight ends well over the years.

Eli Stowers is a big-slot weapon with seam speed, burst, and YAC. He finds soft spots in zones, tracks the ball well, and wins above the rim. He needs more physicality and crisper routes. Below-average blocker.

Round Grade: Red Chip (Third-Round Grade)