1 Team Primed to Select TE Tyler Warren

In the 2024 draft, there was one special tight end, and everyone knew it. Brock Bowers had been the top weapon in Georgia’s passing attack for years, and he was finally eligible to take the next step. In the NFL, he then broke numerous records, producing a receiving line of 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns in a rare productive debut season for tight ends.

1 Team Primed to Select TE Tyler Warren

This year’s class is headlined by Penn State’s standout do-it-all weapon, Tyler Warren. His school got just bounced in a thriller of a matchup against Notre Dame, but he once again proved why he is a popular player among draft-heads. In his fifth year at Penn State (his redshirt junior season), he tabulated 104 receptions for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns, enough to lead the Big 10 in catches and yards.

But he didn’t stop there, adding another 218 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. There’s nothing he can’t do from an on-field standpoint. At 6’6″ and 257 lbs, he can line up on the line of scrimmage and block in the running game, he can be a checkdown outlet, and he can be the focal point of a pass play, running all sorts of routes from either the in-line position or somewhere outside.

That entire skillset, of course, makes him an intriguing player for any NFL team and a prime candidate to go off the board in the first round of the draft, especially after Bowers’ campaign.

NFLMockdraftdatabase.com has Warren listed as the 17th player on their consensus big board, which uses notable mock drafts to rank the players. One team that is drafting just ahead of that spot is the Indianapolis Colts, who have the 14th overall pick with their 8-9 record.

And, well, the Colts need a tight end. Kylen Granson, Mo Alie-Cox, and Drew Ogletree each recorded between 100 and 200 yards in the 2024 season.

Asked about the tight end position, general manager Chris Ballard said at his season-ending press conference: “We didn’t get enough production from them. I will say this: they did a very good job in the run game, they’re excellent blockers. But our inability to control the middle of the field, which we’ve got to be able to do, I got to be able to give Shane (Steichen, head coach) and them a guy that can really control the middle of the field, that teams have to account for and defend.”

A guy who can control the middle of the field? Well, Warren is that guy.

The Colts have one of the most unusual passing attacks in the NFL. When Anthony Richardson is on the field, it is either a running play or a deep shot. Slowly tearing a defense apart is not part of the Colts’ offense. But it should be, and having a productive tight end is usually the best friend of any quarterback, especially one that struggles to complete 50% of his passes.

Warren to Indianapolis makes too much sense to just brush it off as a speculation.

Editor’s Note: Information from Sports Reference helped with this article.

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