Looking back at last month’s draft, the Indianapolis Colts may have had a home run hit of a selection fall into their laps with the addition of Penn State tight end Tyler Warren at 14th overall in the first round.
Not only did Warren fall to the Colts as perhaps the best talent at his position in the entire class, but he also fills a glaring and much-needed hole on the Indianapolis offense as the most versatile and dynamic tight end the team has had in recent memory.
Simply put, it was a great outcome for the first night of the draft for both the Colts organization and fans alike. And when projecting how his first year in the NFL could look, those same Colts fans may be in to witness some fireworks from their first-round pick.
Sports Illustrated’s Daniel Flick recently dove into how each team’s best rookie could have their first season transpire, and when it came to the Colts’ top projected rookie, which was clearly Warren, he had some compelling expectations for the Penn State product.
“The Colts’ struggles at tight end last season are well documented—they finished last in receptions, second-to-last in receiving yards, and tied for second-to-last in receiving touchdowns,” Flick wrote. “Warren, the 14th pick who’s versatile, sure-handed and a force after the catch, could outproduce the entire room alone as a rookie. Toss in the Colts’ quarterback situation—they’ll have a competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones—and a presumptive high number of checkdowns, and the picture grows clear for Warren to see a heavy target share.”
Whoever the Colts’ quarterback ends up being, they’ll have a dominant weapon at their disposal in the form of Warren–– who led Penn State’s offense in total catches, yards, and touchdowns across the 2024 campaign.
For Indianapolis, they haven’t had the luxury of a 500-yard tight end on the roster since the likes of Eric Ebron in 2018. If the Colts can just get that type of production out of Warren, that’s a success in itself, but he has a far higher ceiling when looking at how his future career trajectory could pan out.
Oftentimes, year one tight ends can have their struggles to encounter (unless you’re Brock Bowers). Warren could face those same struggles in adjusting to the NFL game, and with a crowded wide receiver room and many mouths to feed, there’s a world where it takes some extended time for the Penn State product to truly get adjusted and gel in his new situation.
But if Warren shows out as advertised in due time, it’ll be hard to look back on the pick and see it as anything but a win in the books for the Colts and this offense. Though, time will tell if the 22-year-old can meet those preconceived expectations.
