With Tyler Warren falling on draft boards, it might be the ultimate opportunity for the Indianapolis Colts to snag him. The team has the 14th overall pick, and are in a bit of an interesting situation.
For starters, they have quarterback Anthony Richardson. He oozes potential but has been extremely injury-prone. After a promising rookie campaign, his sophomore season was a true slump.
His completion percentages went down, among other things. However, he didn't have a security blanket to throw to. This is where Warren comes in.
When he was with Penn State this previous season, he was the main offensive weapon. Offensive coordinator Andy Koetilnicki put Warren in a barrage of different positions. He even used him as a quarterback for a couple of plays.
The Athletic's Bruce Feldman detailed what some Big 10 coaches think of the former Nittany Lions tight end.
“They were force-feeding him the ball last year,” another Big Ten coach said. “He is a very good player. He’s closer to (Rob Gronkowski) than Brock Bowers. He is a true tight end. Good blocker, not like dynamite, but good.”
Tyler Warren to the Colts would be a dream
As mentioned earlier, the Colts have some weapons but have been inconsistent. Someone like Warren can change the whole trajectory of the offense.
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As that Big Ten coach said, Warren is a good blocker. That was a characteristic of Rob Gronkowski and how he was so good. Eventually, his offensive game caught up.
Gronkowski is regarded as one of, if not, the best tight end to ever play. It's a high bar for Warren to reach, but one that is possible. After all, he led the Big Ten with 104 receptions for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns.
He even was seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting. Still, he has some support from a Big Ten defensive coordinator and an opposing head coach.
“He went from being a pretty good player to being a great college player,” a Big Ten defensive coordinator said. “I just think he’s a great athlete. I’m not saying he’s as smooth as Travis Kelce, but he has some of that just natural playmaking ability that not a lot of legit tight ends have.”
“His ability after the catch is special; he breaks a lot of tackles, and I think he has upper-level ball skills,” said one head coach whose team faced Penn State early in the 2024 season. “I think this is a really good athlete who was just learning the position.”
Regardless if he goes to the Colts or not, Warren will have plenty of eyes on him due to his natural skill at the position, and how he can continually evolve his game.