The Philadelphia Eagles are getting an early look at second-round pick Eli Stowers, and one area of emphasis is already clear: blocking.
According to Zach Berman of The Athletic, Stowers spent time during rookie minicamp working through blocking drills under the watchful eye of new Eagles tight ends coach Ryan Mahaffey. The focus was heavily on positioning and technique—key elements for a player still refining those aspects of his game. Stowers enters the NFL with an impressive receiving résumé, having won the Mackey Award at Vanderbilt as the nation’s top tight end. However, his path to the position is unconventional. A converted quarterback, Stowers has only played tight end for three years, and blocking simply wasn’t a major part of his responsibilities early in that transition.
Rather than a lack of ability, Stowers made it clear that development in this area comes down to repetition and technique.
“You just have to learn the technique,” Stowers said. “A lot of it is reps so you get the muscle memory down. And the other side of it is just the will to want to block. And I have that, and I want to be the best blocker I can be.”
There had been predraft speculation that some teams viewed Stowers more as a big slot receiver than a traditional tight end. That’s not how Philadelphia sees him. The Eagles have him firmly in the tight end room, and while his pass-catching ability is a major asset, improving as a blocker will be critical to becoming a complete player in their offense.
Stowers embraces that challenge, viewing himself as a true tight end who can also be a dynamic weapon in the passing game.
“I view myself as a tight end, but I think I can be a really good weapon in the passing game as well,” Stowers said. “The fact is that I’m a tight end, and I want to be used that way in the offense.”
As the rookie minicamp continues, Stowers’ development as a blocker will be one of the more important storylines to watch. If he can pair his elite receiving traits with consistent improvement in the trenches, the Eagles may have landed one of the most versatile offensive weapons in the draft.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eli Stowers focused on blocking growth at Eagles minicamp