Brains And Brawn

When the Eagles selected Eli Stowers in the second round of the NFL Draft in late April, it was a move made with a long-term view of the tight end position in mind.

The uber-athletic 23-year-old is in a bit of a holding period, as veteran Dallas Goedert sits atop the depth chart for another season. Circumstances typically dictate usage, perhaps limiting the ceiling for draftees, but Stowers’ innate comprehension of the intricacies of football are atypical for a rookie.

Brendan Flaherty, tight ends coach at Vanderbilt, instantly identified Stowers’ advanced football acumen during their initial interaction, attributing much of it to Stowers’ quarterback background and the inescapable influences from growing up in a household brimming with other athletes.

When they first met two years ago, Stowers took to the white board. Standard protocol, to be sure, but Flaherty’s motive was to see how well Stowers could articulate his thoughts and comprehend concepts. What he quickly learned is that Stowers could readily delve into the weeds and talk through football and its nuances, an especially valued commodity on game days when communication is paramount.

Knowing that Stowers wasn’t just a terrific athlete but also a student of the game allowed Flaherty and the coaching staff to make sudden, in-game adjustments that Stowers could handle.

ITB PHOTO/ANDREW DICECCO: Eagles second-round rookie TE Eli Stowers impressed his college coaches with brains and brawn.

At that point, Stowers had already traversed Texas A&M and New Mexico State, transitioning from quarterback to tight end at the latter. Stowers arrived at Vanderbilt with perspective and understanding of different systems, likely contributing to his adept navigating of the acclimation process.

The raw, physical abilities and explosiveness were evident, sure, but being studious and obsessed with details expedited an evolution to college football stardom that would be inevitable.

Often times, what separates the talented from the successful is a devotion to one’s craft. While Flaherty explained that Stowers wasn’t one to ask too many questions because of his profound grasp of the system – when he did, the questions were “very well thought-out” – he shared a memory that depicts a self-starter.

The coaching staff would assign offseason studies to players, having them pore over NFL players with similar roles and skill sets. Stowers was tasked with analyzing Kylen Granson (Indianapolis Colts), Evan Engram (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Aaron Hernandez, the latter focusing more on his usage at the University of Florida.

In film study, a specific clip resonated with Stowers, and when he returned to Nashville, he was prepared to lobby for its inclusion in the playbook.

“Eli’s a guy that, he saw something two years ago watching that Kylen Granson study,” Flaherty recalled. “He drew it up on the board and then later that night, we had a meeting. He’s like, ‘Hey, can we pull up this clip? I drew it up on the board. This is something I think would be really good for us.’ We went to the offensive coordinator, and we ended up putting it in.”

While the offensive fireworks – Stowers was trusted, more than anyone else, on an abundance of option routes to capitalize on his ability to read coverages and breaking off leverage – and astute preparedness came naturally for Stowers, the blocking component of the job description has been a work in progress, as one should expect from a converted quarterback.

In fairness, Stowers, the Commodores’ leading receiver in his two seasons, simply wasn’t deployed as an inline blocker all that much. There were other options on the roster better equipped, and logically, there’s little to gain dispatching your top offensive weapon into a defender on a counter play.

Still, Stowers demonstrated a willingness when called upon, with evidence to support.

For reference, revisit Vanderbilt’s season-opener against Virginia Tech two years ago. In his debut, Stowers generated some buzz after pancaking a Hokies defender, earning the distinction of SEC “Block of the Week.” The play made the rounds on SEC Network and social media, highlighting Stowers’ desire and commitment to contributing to team success.

“He’s willing and able,” Flaherty said. “And we didn’t need him to do too much of that stuff. We’re a very heavy 12-personnel system, so we kind of put a lot of blocking onto our ‘Y,’ and that kind of frees the ‘H’ to be a little bit more in the slot or backside of blocks and stuff that way.”

There’s another instance that underscores Stowers’ willingness in that facet, an anecdote that Flaherty would commonly relay to scouts when they’d attend practice.

Two years ago, against Kentucky, Vanderbilt was engaged in a two-minute drill going into halftime. Stowers, the two-minute tight end, was in the game. Flaherty went on to describe a flawless, teach-tape rep in pass protection. It was a new protection in which Stowers hadn’t previously repped, against a difficult look.

Stowers reached the 9-technique, affording quarterback Diego Pavia adequate space to get to the edge. Pavia tossed an 18-yard touchdown to wide receiver Richie Hoskins on the play, retaking the lead going into the break.

“I like that story because at this level, a lot of guys are only kind of taking the coaching when it’s their rep,” he said. “But Eli’s a guy – he’s smart enough, he’s mature enough – that if one of the other tight ends is getting coached up on technique, or fundamentals or scheme, he knows it’s going to apply to him as well. So, he’s able to not only learn from his mistakes, but learn from others’ mistakes, too. I think that just accelerates his learning.”

Competitive toughness is a valued trait inside the Eagles’ building and has become a predominant theme when identifying draftees or external pieces.

Stowers checks off that box, too.

GETTY IMAGES/Stacy Revere: Eli Stowers combines great athleticism with football IQ and a willingness to do anything, his position coach at Vanderbilt said.

Flaherty pointed to the Auburn game last November. A late throw over the middle resulted in a hit that left Stowers gasping for air. He would miss the ensuing two snaps, the only two he’d miss at Vanderbilt. As Flaherty told it, Stowers sustained multiple injuries in that game, including another moment where the wind was knocked out of him, though the second occurred during no-huddle and the team couldn’t afford a substitution. The other was a quad contusion.

“Just seeing him on the bench in between drives, and the training staff coming over to him making sure he’s putting the heat on his thigh and getting what he needs – and just the look of a warrior on his face,” Flaherty recalled. “And a lot of other guys, I think, would have tapped out and been like, ‘No, I’m beat to s—t, honestly.’ But there was no way he was coming out of that game.”

Based on Stowers’ mental makeup, Philadelphia appears to be an ideal landing spot. His thirst for knowledge will be adequately quenched, as Stowers finds himself in a veteran-laden tight end room that includes Goedert and Johnny Mundt. Stowers, speaking to reporters last week, also offered a glowing endorsement of first-year tight ends coach Ryan Mahaffey, noting his understanding of the offense and the way he teaches it makes it “really easy” to digest.

When Stowers met with reporters last week at the Jefferson Health Training Complex, he mentioned he’d not yet met Goedert – they just missed one another – but expressed his eagerness to learn from the 31-year-old tight end.

For now, Stowers will function as the understudy before assuming the reins next season, but from the sounds of it, there are few rookies better equipped to fulfill that role while waiting in the wings.

“He’s going to be around the facility all the time,” Flaherty vowed. “He’s going to be watching his tape, he’s going to be watching other guys tape. He’s going to be studying scheme, techniques, whatever it is. He’s going to find a way to max-out his opportunity.”

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com