The Denver Broncos already made their splash move by trading for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle. That does not mean Sean Payton is done adding matchup problems to the offense.
If Denver looks for a cheaper complementary weapon in the 2026 NFL Draft, Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers would make a lot of sense.
Why Eli Stowers Fits the Type of Weapon Sean Payton Likes
In ESPN’s latest breakdown of team needs, draft expert Jordan Reid labeled Stowers a strong fit for Denver outside Round 1 and called him “the perfect addition” to Payton’s offense.
“He would be the perfect addition to coach Sean Payton’s offense,” Reid wrote. “With his value primarily coming as a big receiver, Stowers has the potential to be a mismatch on second- and third-level defenders in the slot or out wide.”
That description is easy to connect to the way Payton likes to build offense.
Stowers is not a traditional in-line tight end who wins with blocking and physicality at the point of attack. He is much more dangerous as a move piece, someone who can stress linebackers and safeties from detached alignments and create problems as a larger receiving target.
That profile gives him real value in Denver.
Stowers earned a PFSN Prospect Grade of 81.91 and ranked as the No. 124 overall player and No. 6 tight end in the 2026 class. His 9.46 Relative Athletic Score also backs up the movement skills that show up on tape.
The receiving production is what really stands out. Stowers posted an 85.1 PFSN Wide Receiver Impact score in 2025 and averaged 2.7 yards per route run. The eye test confirms that he is much more than a standard tight end underneath.
Denver Could Still Use Another Mismatch Piece After the Waddle Trade
Denver already paid a premium to acquire Waddle, sending a 2026 first-round pick and additional draft capital to Miami for a proven speed threat. The move gave quarterback Bo Nix another legitimate playmaker and gave Payton a dynamic receiver who can force defenses to widen and respect speed.
Waddle ranked No. 22 in PFSN’s Wide Receiver Impact Metric last season and gives the Broncos a different kind of weapon than Courtland Sutton. He can stretch coverage and create spacing for the rest of the offense.
Adding Stowers would build off that same idea without requiring another major investment.
He would give Payton another “joker” type of piece to move around the formation, whether in the slot, detached from the core, or isolated on smaller defenders. Stowers fits an offense trying to keep things clean for a young quarterback while also forcing defenses into uncomfortable personnel decisions.
That is what makes this fit stronger than just “tight end need.”
Stowers would not need to arrive in Denver as a volume target or as a complete every-down player. He would simply need to do what he already does well, which is function as a big-bodied receiving mismatch who can complement the spacing and speed Denver just added with Waddle.
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That kind of player can carry real value in Payton’s system, especially at a much more affordable draft cost.
And that is what makes Reid’s projection worth paying attention to. Stowers would not be the flashy move after the Waddle trade, but he could be the kind of secondary addition that makes the Broncos’ offense even harder to match up with.
