Entering Cam Ward’s second NFL season, the Tennessee Titans aim to make life as easy as possible for the former No. 1 overall pick. With the NFL Draft approaching, the franchise is projected to select a standout tight end out of Vanderbilt who can bring significant upside to the Titans’ offense.
Titans Predicted to Draft John Mackey Award-Winning TE Eli Stowers
On April 1, PFSN’s Jacob Infante released a three-round 2026 NFL Mock Draft, outlining each team’s selections through the first 100 picks. Notably, at No. 66, Infante predicted the Titans to draft the second tight end off the board in Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers.
“Eli Stowers is one of the top athletes at tight end in this year’s draft class, as his incredible Combine outing indicated,” Infante wrote. “He’s a bit raw as an in-line blocker, but offers good vertical speed and explosiveness as a route runner coming out of his breaks.”
In his final collegiate season with the Commodores, Stowers caught 62 passes for 769 yards and 4 receiving touchdowns. He was named to the AP All-America First Team, while also claiming the John Mackey Award, presented to the most outstanding tight end in the country.
According to PFSN’s CFB TE Impact Metric, he posted an 85.1 impact score, ranking first in the SEC and second overall among tight ends on the season. Meanwhile, per PFSN’s NFL Draft HQ, Stowers, a career 13-touchdown tight end, was given an 81.91 prospect grade, ranking as the fifth tight end and 106th overall player.
He earned a 9.47 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) on a 10.0 scale after impressing at the NFL Scouting Combine. He ran a 4.51 40-yard dash (96th percentile) and set both the tight end broad jump record at 11-foot-3 and the vertical jump record at 45.5 inches.
“Eli Stowers stands out as one of the best, most efficient receiving TEs in the 2026 NFL Draft class,” his scouting report stated. “At around 6’4″ and 240 pounds, with near-33″ arms, he’s a lean and long-limbed pass catcher who boasts effervescent athleticism for his size. He’s twitched-up out of his stance, explosive when attacking vertical, and he has the requisite hip sink to sustain acceleration through transitions and gain separation later in routes.”
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“At the catch, Stowers contends just as well, too,” the report noted. “He brings elite body control and contortion ability to the fold, along with stifling hand strength in positions of imbalance, and he’s more competitive than you’d expect in the RAC phase with his leaner build.”
Stowers, who, if drafted by the Titans, will replace Chig Okonkwo in the Titans’ offense, joins a group headlined by Ward, Wan’Dale Robinson, and Calvin Ridley. With the additions of coaches Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll, along with a potentially improved defense, Tennessee is a team worth monitoring as it looks to make noise in the AFC South in 2026.
