Beyond the grade: 360-degree analysis of Eagles Day 2 picks Eli Stowers and Markel Bell

Grades have become every NFL draft analyst’s favorite means of rating a selection, but it’s what goes into the grade that really counts. The Inquirer’s Eagles reporters Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Ryan Novozinsky, and Devin Jackson will evaluate all of the team’s 2026 NFL draft picks based on four separate components, leading with Day 1 selection Makai Lemon and continuing with Friday night’s Day 2 choices below.

Pick: 2nd Round, No. 54 overall

Immediate fit: Stowers’ athletic profile makes it hard for the Eagles to keep him off the field. At the combine, he ran a 4.51 40-yard dash, had a 45½-inch vertical leap, and an 11-foot, 3-inch broad jump. Those are elite numbers for tight ends. There’s some work to do in the blocking department, but Nick Sirianni raved about the potential mismatches the Eagles can create with Stowers, especially on third downs.

» READ MORE: Eagles select Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers in second round of 2026 NFL draft

Dallas Goedert is back on a one-year deal. Coincidentally, Stowers, a former quarterback, said Goedert is one of the players he watched closely as he learned the new position. Now, he can learn from him up close. The Eagles also don’t need Stowers to come in and be a major factor as a blocker right away. They have Johnny Mundt in the fold on a one-year deal. The tight end room for 2026 is plenty deep, and Stowers shouldn’t have any trouble being a factor in the passing game right away. — Jeff Neiburg

Long-term fit: The Eagles have potentially identified their TE1 of the future. Stowers joins Goedert and Zach Ertz, who have played a combined 17 seasons in Philadelphia, as one of the three tight ends taken by Howie Roseman in the second round of the draft. But if Stowers wants to achieve a similar sense of longevity in the Eagles offense as its top tight end, he must continue to develop his game.

He was a stellar receiver at Vanderbilt, especially in 2025 when he led the team in catches (62 for 769 yards and four touchdowns) and earned the Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end. His blocking needs some work, and while it doesn’t have to be his calling card, it ought to be adequate enough to make him an every-down contributor. — Olivia Reiner

Football stuff: Stowers is a high-cut player that has legitimate seam-stretching speed in the passing game. He’s a mismatch weapon that can threaten defenses with his speed, understands how to set up routes, knows how to throttle down in the middle of the field on in-breaking routes and crossers, and he projects as an H-back type that is very similar, skill-set wise, to former Giants and Jags Pro Bowler Evan Engram. What Stowers can bring after the catch, too, will allow offensive coordinator Sean Mannion to utilize him in the short passing game, and give him a runway option on dump off-slide routes, on play-action, and isolated one-on-one with safeties or linebackers.

Stowers is likely not going to be a factor in the blocking phase of the game. He is at his best blocking on the move, and against smaller cornerbacks and safeties in space, rather than having to move defensive ends and linebackers off their spot or when they’re coming upfield or downhill.

He’s a player, who, like Lemon, will need a creative play caller to unlock his skill set. He’s still relatively new to the tight end position so you hope you’re getting a player who can continue to round out his game. Tight ends take longer to make an impact, and it will require patience to see what Stowers turns into in three or four years. — Devin Jackson

NFL comp: Stowers is a Mike Gesicki-esque tight end. Like the veteran and current Bengal Gesicki, Stowers is not the best blocker — he’ll really need to prove he can do that in the pros — but he’s an excellent pass catcher who has a wide catch radius. Look for him to be an immediate threat in Mannion’s offense. — Ryan Novozinsky

Pick: 3rd Round, No. 68 overall

Immediate fit: Perhaps the most intriguing part of drafting Bell is not needing anything out of him immediately. He’s an unusually large tackle who primarily played on the left side but cross-trained at right. The Eagles are all set at both tackle spots with Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata as the starters, and swing tackle Fred Johnson back on a one-year deal. Bell’s immediate fit with the team is to come in and continue to be a sponge, learning from two of the best tackles in the sport while continuing to polish his blocking techniques and learn life in the NFL. This pick was all about the future, and what the Eagles think Bell can turn into long-term. — Jeff Neiburg

» READ MORE: Eagles select Miami tackle Markel Bell in third round of 2026 NFL draft

Long-term fit: While Lane Johnson is set to return for his 14th season with the Eagles, it is unclear how many more years he has ahead of him. Roseman has a track record of working ahead to identify future starters on the offensive line. Could Bell fit the bill as Johnson’s successor? It’s far too early to tell. He has just one-and-a-half years of starting experience as Miami’s left tackle and has plenty of room to develop as he learns the pro game. Roseman said that Bell has the versatility to kick inside to guard, too, but the Eagles want to give him a shot at tackle. — Olivia Reiner

Football stuff: Bell is a massive offensive tackle with excellent feet in pass protection and the length (36⅜-inches) to make it difficult for edge rushers to get around him. He is not heavy-footed in his movement in and out of his stance and his rare mobility shows up when he’s trying to move in space and mirroring against edge rushers as a pass protector.

Bell plays with a high pad level because of his size, and his lack of leg strength shows up when he’s trying to move defensive linemen and edge rushers off their spot in the run game. He projects as a developmental tackle who can start in the NFL within a year or two if his pad level becomes more consistent. He checks the box as an unusual prospect that not only has a baseline as a solid starter, but has legitimate tools to be a successor to Lane Johnson. — Devin Jackson

NFL comp: The first name that comes to mind is Texans tackle Trent Brown. Brown also has a massive frame (6-foot-8, 380 pounds) and has shown glimpses of stardom in his 11-year career. Alas, his inability to stay in shape has made him a journeyman (Brown has played for five different teams). Bell needs to do the opposite and live in the weight room. — Ryan Novozinsky