Although improving the tight end roster hasn't been among the most discussed topics for the Patriots this offseason, it is considered to be one of their most important positions to upgrade through the draft, mainly because they didn't re-sign Austin Hooper and only brought in Julian Hill, who is known as a blocker rather than a pass catcher.
That leaves all of the tight end duties up to Hunter Henry once again, and while that's not necessarily a bad thing, it is a lot on his shoulders to bear, especially at his age.
Because of that, there have been some analysts and fans having the Patriots select a tight end in one of the top rounds of the draft, and based on recent intel, it looks like the team is interested in one of the most desirable prospects in this year's class: Vanderbilt's Eli Stowers.
He's projected to go in the second round, or maybe in the late first, which puts him in the perfect position for the Patriots at No. 31, or even to trade up in Round 2. The 6-foot-4 tight end put together an impressive campaign in college and could potentially replicate that in New England.
It might be a smart idea for the Patriots to draft a top-tier tight end this year
During his three years as a starter between New Mexico State and Vanderbilt, Stowers recorded 146 receptions for 1,773 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging 12.1 yards per catch. He's a quick player for his size and has elite skills for deep throws, which is right up Maye's alley.
Even better, he is a solid blocker, too, though he might not be needed much in that role with Hill on the offensive line and fullback Reggie Gilliam.
Regardless, he appears to be a well-rounded tight end and would fit what the Patriots need, and giving Josh McDaniels another option to run double tight ends sets, as we know he loves to do when given the chance.
He fits the criteria of what they need, so they'll just have to determine if taking him in the second round would be a worthy use of that selection or if it would be better to target a different position at that point instead, which is certainly possible.
The tight end class is considered deep, so waiting until the mid-rounds shouldn't be ruled out of the question. That does require a lot of belief that those players can develop into what they need, however, and if not, then Stowers would be worth the investment.
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