Why Chad Reuter's Latest Projected Patriots Pick Could Be Risky Mistake
The New England Patriots' tight end room has combined for 47 career touchdowns in the NFL. Hunter Henry has all 47 of them, while backups Julian Hill, CJ Dippre and Marshall Lang have yet to find the end zone. Tight end is obviously a need for the Patriots heading into the NFL Draft, and it's something they'll certainly address.
But how early will they attack the position, and is it possible that they address that need too early?
According to NFL.com's Chad Reuter, he has the Patriots drafting Vanderbilt tight end Eli Stowers with the 31st overall pick. While the need for a tight end, especially a replacement for Austin Hooper leaving in free agency, is there, going into that pool in the first round may be a bit too rich for me.
The former quarterback put together a strong career in college, capped off with being named the nation's top tight end a season ago. He has a strong case to be the second tight end drafted (after Oregon's Kenyon Sadiq) and has certainly gotten traction to hear his name called on day one.
What Is The Argument For Stowers?
"I won't be surprised if a team selects Stowers in Round 1, given his athletic profile, which reminds me of past first-round TEs Noah Fant and Evan Engram," Reuter wrote. "The Patriots could use a receiving tight end to replace Austin Hooper."
This isn't saying that Stowers would be a bad fit in New England's offense. In fact, his frame and route running could be a perfect match for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels in 2026. It just feels like, at this point in time, there are bigger needs on the roster that should be addressed on the first day of the draft this week.
Edge rusher, which was a big talking point during free agency, is a big concern. Harold Landry, Dre'Mont Jones and Elijah Ponder remain the top three options off the edge right now and it's certainly not a group that possesses a lot of speed when it comes to getting after the quarterbacks. The bigger-bodied players are great at setting the edge and playing the run, but when a deep pool of edge rushers comes through the draft, New England would be silly not to snag one early.
EDGE, OT Remain Bigger Needs Right Now For Pats
In the picks that follow New England in Reuter's mock draft, a run of edge rushers come off the board in a hurry. R Mason Thomas (Oklahoma) goes to the Seattle Seahawks at 32nd overall while TJ Parker (Clemson) goes 39th overall to Cleveland and Cashius Howell (Texas A&M) goes 50th to Detroit.
That's not even considering a possible need at offensive tackle, where Reuter has Arizona State's Max Iheanachor going to the Arizona Cardinals at 34th overall.
Stowers (62 receptions, 769 receiving yards, four touchdowns in 2025) does need to work on his blocking, and wouldn't offer much in terms of special teams contributions. His body of work in college, where he was named three all-conference teams between New Mexico State and Vanderbilt, will get him drafted high this week. Patriots tight ends coach Thomas Brown was present at Stowers' pro day and putting him through positional drills, a sign that the team likes what they see in him.
The Patriots have 11 picks and they have the flexibility to move up and down the board at will. It's just about how the board will fall for them when the clock begins ticking.
If edge rushers remain available, or even an offensive lineman, the defending conference champs would be smart to pounce on that need before grabbing a tight end -- Stowers or anyone else for that matter.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/patriots/onsi as Why Chad Reuter's Latest Projected Patriots Pick Could Be Risky Mistake.
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This story was originally published April 22, 2026 at 8:30 AM.