Former NFL GM projects prized Penn State TE to Colts in latest ESPN Mock Draft

Another mock draft. Another projected Penn State tight end Tyler Warren pick for the Colts. Will he be there though?

According to ESPN’s Mike Tannebaum (via subscription), a former NFL general manager, the Indianapolis Colts will come away with prized Penn State tight end Tyler Warren in his latest mainstream 2025 NFL Mock Draft—selecting him with the 14th overall pick:

14. Indianapolis Colts

Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

This is a crucial year for the Colts. It’s time to put some playmakers around Anthony Richardson (or Daniel Jones, who I assume will eventually get some starts). Warren has a rare skill set at tight end. He’s 6-6 and extremely talented. He had a remarkable 104 catches last season, and I envision Indy coach Shane Steichen moving him all around the offense to create mismatches. The Colts had the second-fewest receiving yards from tight ends of any team last season (467), but Warren could push them toward the top of that list pretty quickly.

Regarding Warren:

“During a monstrous senior season for the Nittany Lions, the listed 6’6,” 261 pound tight end recorded 104 receptions for 1,233 receiving yards (11.9 ypr. avg.) and 8 touchdown receptions in 16 starts—earning the John Mackey Award, as well as First-Team All-American, Big Ten Tight of the Year, and First-Team All-Big Ten honors in 2024 respectively.”

Like the Las Vegas Raiders rookie All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers last year (#13th), who went just before the Colts selected edge Laiatu Latu with the 15th overall pick, I have serious doubts about whether Warren will actually be available near midway through the first round—especially with the New York Jets reported heavy interest, picking #7th overall.

Warren would be a slam dunk, no-brainer for the Colts, similar to the prior selections of Quenton Nelson and Ryan Kelly in the first round for Indianapolis, when you knew Indianapolis was getting an immediate really good, blue-chip top caliber prospect.

There’s likely been some prospect fatigue with Warren, who’s been a popular projected mock draft pick for the Colts going on months now.

However, this is the time of year where longtime general manager Chris Ballard doesn’t need to get cute and/or overthink things. If Warren’s there at #14 or even requires a slight trade up outside the Top 10, see what you can realistically do.

“Yeah, but we can get good value at tight end later in the draft,” is how the Colts ended up with tight end Kylen Granson in the 4th round of the 2021 NFL Draft, who while had some flashes here and there, was a main culprit for the lack of receiving production last year—before joining the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency.

The franchise can’t afford to miss at the position again or kick the can down the road anymore.

Warren is one of the most complete tight end prospects to come out of the draft in recent memory, as he excels as both a pass catcher and a run blocker—becoming a dynamic receiving complement to either Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones in the passing game, while fitting Indy’s ‘run the damn ball’ mantra as a powerful run blocker.

Even if neither one of those quarterbacks is here in Indianapolis this time around next year (or Ballard for that matter), he’d be a foundational building block offensively for the next Colts’ franchise quarterback hopeful—especially if he’s every bit of a prime Dallas Clark or Jeremy Shockey which have been some of his elite pro football comparisons.

The Colts have gotten next to nothing from the tight end position recently, and it’s been long overdue for an upgrade with an elite playmaker as a receiver. Why not Warren?