Broncos Lock In Pre-Draft Visit With Coveted 2026 TE Prospect

With the first two-plus weeks of NFL free agency in the books, the Denver Broncos' eye is turning toward the 2026 NFL draft. The Broncos have already been to several major stops on the pre-draft trade, including the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine.

One of the standouts of the Combine was Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers, who revealed to the Rich Eisen Show that he has a top-30 meeting with the Broncos coming up soon.

"I visited the Titans this past week, and then I have the Cowboys and the Broncos coming up soon," Stowers told Eisen.

Stowers also revealed that he met with the Broncos at the Combine, so the big 6-foot-4, 239-pound tight end seems to be of genuine interest to GM George Paton and head coach Sean Payton.

In the wake of the Jaylen Waddle trade, the Broncos no longer have a first or third-round pick this year, but they still have their second-rounder and an improved fourth-round pick (No. 111), which, combined with their later-round picks, gives the team enough ammo to be dangerous.

Stowers's Scouting Report

Nov 22, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores tight end Eli Stowers (9) runs with the ball after a made catch against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Stowers is widely viewed as the No. 2 tight end in the 2026 draft class behind only Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq, who had an even better Combine. However, Stowers exited Indianapolis with the highest Relative Athletic Score among tight ends, at 82.

Stowers raised some eyebrows by running a 4.51-second 40-yard dash, which is very impressive considering he's almost a 240-pound guy. He definitely helped himself at the Combine.

Over his final two college seasons at Vanderbilt, Stowers caught 111 passes for 1,407 yards and nine touchdowns. He'll turn 23 right before the draft.

But what exactly would Stowers bring to the table? Our senior draft analyst, Erick Trickel, wrote this about Stowers pre-Combine, when ranking him as the No. 2 tight end behind Sadiq:

"The athleticism needs to be seen, but Stowers isn’t an in-line guy. He has some serious concerns as a blocker.

"Stowers could develop enough in the slot to make an impact, but he is a mismatch receiver. What he does at the Combine will likely have a significant effect on his stock."

In other words, at this early stage of his career, Stowers would be a younger version of Broncos tight end Evan Engram. Some call them a 'move tight end' or the 'F tight end,' but as Trickel writes, they're basically a big slot receiver and a mismatch nightmare because they're too big for defensive backs to cover effectively and too fast for linebackers.

Broncos' Current TE Room

Stowers isn't going to step onto an NFL field as a dominant in-line blocker, but that's a trait that could potentially be developed as his career progresses. The Broncos' interest could stem, in part, from Engram's age (32 in September) and the fact that he's entering a contract year.

The Broncos re-signed Adam Trautman, Nate Adkins, and Lucas Krull this offseason, and they have their seventh-round project Caleb Lohner still ripening on the vine, but Stowers is an all-together different sort of tight-end athlete.

The Broncos currently hold the No. 62 overall pick (second round), which might put Stowers in play for them. He's currently projected to go off the board at No. 54 by the Consensus Big Board. We'll keep our ear to the floor for any additional buzz on the Stowers/Broncos front.

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