What could have been? During Eli Stowers' draft party, an eagle-eyed fan spotted a Broncos hat in the background right as the tight end got the life-changing call from the Philadelphia Eagles. The Vanderbilt Commodores shared a video of the moment Stowers learned he'd be heading to Philly with the 54th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft—but the hat sparked a wave of "what if" chatter among Denver faithful.

Stowers had been heavily linked to the Broncos in pre-draft mockups, making the hat a bittersweet symbol of missed opportunity. Denver wasn't scheduled to pick until No. 62 and eventually traded back, leaving fans to wonder if the tight end could have been wearing orange and blue instead. Social media lit up with reactions like "Dude in the back with the Broncos hat 💔💔💔 IT SHOULDVE BEEN US" from one fan, while another simply noted, "What's that hat back there?"

After trading out of the second round, the Broncos selected Texas A&M defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim at pick No. 66 in the third round. While the Eagles aren't on Denver's 2026 regular-season schedule, fans can expect a future showdown with Stowers down the line. For now, the hat remains a fun draft-day mystery—and a reminder of how close the Broncos came to adding a new weapon to their roster.