Eli Stowers, Tweener or Cheat Code? 2026 Rookie TEs—Tiers 1-2
The 2025 rookie class doesn't have a great reputation. But one of the perceived silver linings seems to be the depth of the tight end class.
Unfortunately, I think this perception is incorrect. This tight end class, I guess, could be considered deep. But it's deep mainly in the sense that if you're an NFL team with a 5th round pick to spend, there are some interesting TE stabs. Similarly, from a fantasy perspective, if you want to throw a 20th-round dart at a rookie TE, there are some options. But, fundamentally, this is a two-man tight end class with some dart throws beyond that.
Tier 1 - Big Slot WRs
Kenyon Sadiq
At a Glance
Sadiq is young, extremely athletic, and is about to land elite draft capital for the tight end position. His production profile includes some genuine red flags, but he's a fun bet on high-end traits and early-career opportunity.
Positive Indicators
Kenyon Sadiq, first and foremost, is an elite athlete. That's true after adjusting for his size. But it's also true even if you don't. Regardless of a player's height and weight, a 4.39 40 with a 1.54 10-yard split is awesome; as is a 43.5-inch vertical; as is a 134-inch broad jump. In a vacuum, Sadiq is incredibly athletic—even before you get to the fact that he weighed in at 6-foot-3, 241 pounds.
Sadiq is big for a normal human, but he's actually small by tight end standards. Fortunately, he profiles as a solid blocker, with a career run blocking grade of 72. He's unlikely to be a blocking force in the NFL, but like Harold Fannin last year, Sadiq looks like he can hold his own as an undersized tight end, which should help keep him on the field.
Sadiq also profiles as an impressive separator downfield. He looks like a potential seam stretcher, with the requisite speed to challenge NFL defensive backs.
Sadiq also did quite a bit of his damage as a deep threat at Oregon. With just a 6.2 career aDOT and a peak aDOT of just 8.3 (in 2025), he doesn't necessarily jump out as a deep target in the high-level stats. But that's largely because his aDOT was held down by a ton of behind-the-line-of-scrimmage targets; deep yards were sneakily the biggest part of his production profile.
Sadiq declared early for the draft and is expected to be drafted in the middle of Round 1.
Red Flags
Even by tight end standards, Sadiq just wasn't very productive in college. He peaked with just a 15% yardage share, a 20% dominator rating, and 1.35 YPTA, all of which he hit in 2025.
In 2024, he turned in 2.10 YPRR, which was promising and helped him secure more routes in his final season. Unfortunately, he dropped to just 1.62 YPRR last year.
Even as a three-year tight end, Sadiq's production profile is lacking.
Part of the issue is that Sadiq really only shone as a YAC producer on schemed targets. Those targets accounted for a quarter of his overall production, which is already a bit of a red flag. But his YAC profile looks almost entirely manufactured.
Statistical Comps
- Noah Fant
- Coby Fleener
- David Njoku
- Mike Gesicki
Fantasy Outlook
Sadiq is basically a bet on athleticism and draft capital. But we also have age working in our favor. Sadiq turned 21 in March, which points to a high ceiling if he can continue to develop and improve throughout his early 20s... as players often do.
However, I don't see much evidence that Sadiq is a difference-making NFL playmaker right now. To deliver on his best ball ADP, he'll likely need to land on an offense that prioritizes feeding him the ball as a core part of their game plan.
But that's where his Round 1 draft capital is so helpful. As the Colts did with Tyler Warren last year, we could see an NFL team stick to what worked for Sadiq in college in his rookie season, before presumably expanding the playbook in future years.
From a dynasty perspective, even though I view Sadiq as more of a borderline 1st round rookie pick, there's such a steep dropoff in the mid-late 1st round of rookie drafts that I'm almost certain to have him ranked as a mid-late 1st. But if the market gets excited about him after a good landing spot, I'll likely be looking to move off of my pick with Sadiq at the top of my queue.
Best Ball Recommendation
Sadiq is a solid best ball selection in a vacuum, but has actually been a difficult click due to better TE values later in the draft. Post draft, he'll be even trickier if he rises in price due to a good landing spot.
Superflex Rookie Draft Grade
Late 1st - Early 2nd.
Eli Stowers
At a Glance
Stowers is truly a big WR with tight end eligibility... to the point that you have to wonder if he's even a tight end at all. His receiving skills and athleticism signal an exciting ceiling in the right environment. But in the wrong hands, he could turn into a rotational tight end, well off the fantasy radar.
Positive Indicators
Eli Stowers, a converted QB, emerged in 2024 at Vanderbilt with a 27% yardage yardage share and a 26% dominator rating. The following year, he maintained strong yardage production with a 23% yardage share.
Stowers was also solidly efficient. In 2024, he posted 2.10 YPTA and 2.43 YPRR. In 2025, he posted 2.11 YPTA and 2.55 YPRR. Even for a fourth/fifth-year tight end prospect, Stowers impressed in his final two seasons.
Stowers' ability to produce in college makes sense when you consider his elite athleticism. Literally no tight end in Combine history has ever jumped higher than Stowers.
Stowers was also a very impressive target earner in the short area of the field. He has potential to rack up underneath targets.
Stowers was also impressive after the catch in the short area.
Red Flags
Stowers didn't switch to tight end until his third season from high school. And in that season—his final year at New Mexico State—he wasn't productive. In that 2023 year, he turned in just a 13% yardage share, 11% dominator rating, 1.02 YPTA, and 1.89 YPRR.
Stowers was only productive in his fourth and fifth college seasons.
At tight end, this is less of a red flag than at WR. Simply put, we have a much higher bar for the production level we care about at WR. We need guys who are stars, guys who consistently outproduce the other WRs on their team and beat NFL-level cornerbacks. At tight end... if we can find a guy good enough to run 80%+ of the routes and operate as a reliable checkdown option, we have something useful. That's not enough for someone to be a needle mover, but needle movers are pretty rare at tight end.
Still, it's worth considering that Stowers looks like a big possession receiver, not a field stretcher. His statistical profile suggests a lack of deep separation and contested catch ability. We're hoping Stowers can deliver as an underneath-target earner and a YAC producer. But that may require a specific schematic fit.
In fact, one of Stowers' core red flags is that it's not clear he's really a tight end at all.
In addition to weighing only 239 pounds, he is a very poor blocker, with a career run blocking grade of just 49.
Even with a similar build to Kenyon Sadiq, I'm much more concerned about Stowers' NFL snap rate/route participation. Sadiq was actually a good blocker at Oregon; Stowers' blocking is a major liability. There's considerable risk that Stowers will be relegated to a long-term rotational role in the NFL.
Statistical Comps
- Aaron Hernandez
- Luke Schoonmaker
- Ben Sinnott
- Greg Dulcich
Fantasy Outlook
Stowers, as functionally a big slot WR, could be really fun. But we also have to acknowledge that this archetype comes with a lower-than-ideal floor. Because if Stowers really is just a big WR, he's at risk of being replaced... by an actual WR.
Were he a decent blocker, Stowers would profile as a versatile weapon, one who could help disguise the intent of a given play, putting the defense in a run/pass conflict. But Stowers was far from a decent blocker in college. And unless he dramatically improves there, Stowers looks more like a big slot WR who can soak up targets on a weak depth chart or benefit from playing in an offense fully committed to the pass.
The good news is that Stowers' elite athleticism looks to have locked up Day 2, if not Round 2 draft capital for him. That should come with a path to early playing time.
Compared to Kenyon Sadiq, Stowers appears to have a lower floor... which isn't ideal, given that I believe Sadiq has a lower floor than is generally acknowledged. However, because Stowers has been significantly cheaper in best ball than Sadiq, he's actually been the easier click of the two for me. I'd rather have Sadiq straight up... but I've struggled to pay the premium for him.
In dynasty, I think Sadiq has both a higher floor and ceiling than Stowers. But I think as things stand today, Stowers is very likely the better pure receiver. And, if Stowers lands somewhere willing to deploy him as a receiver and live with his blocking issues, there's upside beyond where he's likely to go in rookie drafts.
Best Ball Recommendation
Target in the 13th or later.
Superflex Rookie Draft Grade
Late 1st - Early 2nd.
