Vanderbilt Commodores Star Eli Stowers Taken in 6th Round of Recent Mock Draft
The Vanderbilt Commodores were one of the pleasant surprises in college football during the 2024 season.
They got off to a great start, reaching six victories with their win against the Auburn Tigers on Nov. 2 to become bowl-eligible. That stretch included beating the then-No. 1-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide for the first time in 40 years.
Unfortunately, the end of the regular season did not feature the same amount of success.
The Commodores are entering their bowl matchup against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets riding a three-game losing streak after being defeated at home by the South Carolina Gamecocks before falling on the road to the LSU Tigers and losing their rivalry game, at home, to the Tennessee Volunteers.
A big reason why the team found so much success was the performance of quarterback Diego Pavia, who transferred in from the New Mexico State Aggies after winning the Conference USA Player of the Year Award in 2023.
His favorite weapon throughout the campaign was tight end Eli Stowers, who some analysts believe has a future at the next level.
He has only been playing tight end full-time for two years. He was a quarterback at the start of his collegiate career.
Stowers was at New Mexico State with Pavia in 2023, and their connection was even stronger with Vanderbilt this past fall.
He led the team in every receiving statistic with 45 catches for 583 yards and four touchdowns.
With him just scratching the surface of his potential as he learns the ins and outs of playing the position, he has a bright future.
That will continue in the NFL according to Jacob Infante of Pro Football Network who has him being selected by the Denver Broncos.
In a recent seven-round mock draft the analyst put together, he has the emerging tight end being selected No. 192 overall, near the end of the sixth round.
The Broncos are an intriguing landing spot for Stowers given the direction their offense is heading.
Sean Payton has his quarterback after selecting Bo Nix in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft and the team has gotten back on track.
Adding more weapons around him would be a good idea, and tight end could certainly use some help.
This year, the team has received virtually no production from that position with Lucas Krull leading that room with 18 receptions. Adam Trautman has the most yards from a tight end with 183 yards, and Nate Adkins has the most touchdowns with three.
Stowers would add some dynamic playmaking ability and athleticism to the team’s positional group, having a chance to carve out a role very early on.
