There's no shortage of opinions surrounding Kyle Pitts' potential return to the Atlanta Falcons. Whether you think he'll return via franchise tag or short-term extension or you think he'll be gone faster than you can blink this offseason, the Falcons desperately need offensive playmaking talent.
Whether or not Pitts returns is irrelevant to this fact, and Kevin Stefanski knows it. He ran a two-TE system in Cleveland that saw both David Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. thrive, and now, Stefanski has a chance to find his new Fannin regardless of whether Pitts stays as expected or leaves.
Now that the NFL combine is less than two weeks away, it's time to digest some film and make the case for why Atlanta should draft specific playmakers.
Recently, Ryan Smith of Pro Football Focus dropped an article explaining how every NFL team should target their biggest need, and said Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers is who the Falcons should target during this draft .And if you know anything about Stefanski, he's a perfect match for this system.
The Atlanta Falcons have the perfect Kyle Pitts replacement (or complement) waiting for them in the 2026 NFL Draft in Eli Stowers
Stowers caught 111 passes for over 1,400 yards and nine touchdowns over his last two seasons at Vandy. He led college football in tight end receiving yards last season after being top 10 in the same category in 2024 and won the Mackey Award.
The 6-foot-4 235-pound senior broke into college as a four-star quarterback at Texas A&M in 2021. After back-to-back seasons with basically no playing time, he transferred to New Mexico State and switched to tight end.
Stowers was third on the team in receiving yards during his first full season at the position. After the 2023 season, he followed Diego Pavia and transferred to Vanderbilt, where he continued to blossom.
Just three years into playing tight end full-time, Stowers was given PFF's highest tight end prospect score this season. The 2025 Campbell Award winner was trusted out wide and in the slot consistently last season.
He was so impressive that Vanderbilt used him as a receiver on many designed plays. The 22-year-old has secure hands and fantastic versatility. And he would be a fantastic pickup for the Falcons since it would allow him to be utilized similarly to how Fannin was in Cleveland this past season.
Most media outlets project Stowers to be drafted somewhere in the second round. While the Falcons hold a mid-second round pick, Stowers should be the target. The Falcons have no consistent playmakers behind Drake London and desperately need help.
Not only does Stowers provide fantastic upside, but he'd also be a steal in the second round. PFF gives him an 8.27 prospect score, which ranks in the 96th percentile. For reference, the consensus No. 1 tight end in the 2026 Draft, Kenyon Sadiq, received a 7.80 score.
NFL Draft Buzz compared him to Trey McBride, and if the Falcons can land their version of the elite tight end, all will be well in Atlanta.