Eagles share video of emotional phone call after drafting Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers
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Eli Stowers was listed as a quarterback at New Mexico State in 2023. Two years later, he became an All-American tight end at Vanderbilt. Today, he’s a Philadelphia Eagle.
On Friday, Philadelphia general manager Howie Roseman chose Stowers with the No. 45 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Moments later, he — along with head coach Nick Sirianni and owner Jeffrey Lurie — spoke to Stowers about joining the Eagles.
Roseman’s conversation focused on the track record of Philly’s second-round tight ends. Both Zach Ertz (2013) and Dallas Goedert (2018) helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl in their careers.
“Tell you what, we got a pretty good history of selecting tight ends in the second round,” Roseman said. “How about we pick you right here and add you to that legacy?”
Philadelphia’s offense took a step back last season, scoring nearly 5 fewer points per game (22.3) than it did when it captured Super Bowl LIX (27.2).
The Eagles appear destined to trade wide receiver A.J. Brown in June, so they’ve been on the prowl for more weapons for Jalen Hurts. Wideout Makai Lemon, their No. 20 pick, certainly qualifies as that, as does Stowers. With them in the fold, Philly could find itself deep in the playoffs once again this season.
