The Colts took TE Tyler Warren in the first round; let’s break down the top prospect.
The Indianapolis Colts selected Tight End Tyler Warren from Penn State with the 14th overall pick in the draft. He was the second tight end selected in the draft. Below is a full scouting report on Warren’s game:
Size + Measurables
Height: 6’5 1/2
Weight: 256 lbs
Wingspan: 76 1/2
Arm Length: 31 3/4
Hand Size: 9 1/2
Athletic Testing: Did not participate at the combine or his pro day
Strengths
- Perfect size straight out of central casting at 6’5 and over 250 pounds.
- He is a very strong player with great contact balance.
- Natural hands catcher who plucks the ball out of the air and doesn’t let it hit his chest. Also does a good job of high pointing balls in traffic. He had a 1.8% drop rate (per TruMedia).
Warren is a natural hands catcher who high points the ball nicely in traffic. #Colts pic.twitter.com/cXrUhwuMbA
— Andrew Aziz (@AndrewAzizSB) April 25, 2025
- Always looking to deliver a hit and punishes defensive backs when entering contact.
I love how Tyler Warren is always looking to deliver a hit instead of just taking them. #Colts pic.twitter.com/xxIVi07MgW
— Andrew Aziz (@AndrewAzizSB) April 25, 2025
- He is a very capable and aggressive blocker who can win at the point of attack or at the second level. He shows tremendous effort and finishes his blocks.
Tyler Warren is an ass kicker.
He threw this Edge out of the endzone on this block.Yea…he may not be there for the Chargers pic.twitter.com/GMYXoiBhHV
— Thomas Martinez (@BoltsDraftTalk) December 21, 2024
- He possesses the ability to play as a wild cat quarterback, whether it’s as a passing QB or as a short yardage QB sneak type.
Maybe I’m overplaying this, but I love the fact that he can be a legit Wildcat quarterback. #Colts pic.twitter.com/yLiqVigAie
— Andrew Aziz (@AndrewAzizSB) April 25, 2025
- He is a beast with the ball in his hands. Penn State does everything to get him the ball, whether it’s on tunnel screens, wildcat or quick hitting passes. He gets a lot of YAC yards.
All these clips below showcase the same thing… he’s a big YAC yard guy and he does it with his physicality. Even when he goes down, he falls forward for an extra few yards like a great power running back. He’ll be key in short yardage situations. #Colts pic.twitter.com/UermeSvybK
— Andrew Aziz (@AndrewAzizSB) April 26, 2025
Weaknesses
- He is slow of his breaks (regardless of it being a speed or square/hard cut). Doesn’t gain too much separation in man coverage.
Continuing this thread… He’s a positive and a negative in the same clip. Warren wins this 1on1 battle to get the ball, but this play showcases his inability to separate down the field. He has one speed and doesn’t change things up with releases off the line or stutters. #Colts pic.twitter.com/kP4JDdRK0w
— Andrew Aziz (@AndrewAzizSB) April 26, 2025
- He has one gear for speed, so he won’t run away from anyone.
- Route tree is a bit limited, likely due to inability to separate much down the field.
Other Information
- Multi sport athlete in high school (football, basketball, baseball)
- Starting dual-threat quarterback in high school
- 2024 John Mackey award winner
- 2024 First Team All American
- 2024 First Team All Big 10
- 2023 Third Team All Big 10
- He finished 7th in the 2024 Heisman Award voting
- Degrees in advertising/public relations and telecommunications
Stats
2020: Redshirt
2021: 5 catches, 61 yards, 1 TD
2022: 10 catches, 123 yards, 3 TDs
2023: 34 catches, 422 yards, 7 TDs
2024: 104 catches, 1233 yards, 8 TDs | 26 rushes, 218 yards, 4 TDs
Summary
Tyler Warren is one of the best prospects in the class and as well rounded and polished as any tight end in the last 5-6 years. While others have been better pass catchers, he is a physical mauler who will offer value in the run game as an aggressive blocker. With the ball in his hands, he is very difficult to tackle due to his physicality and his ability to deliver hits to defenders. As a pass catcher, he can win 50/50 battles, has incredibly natural hands with a low drop rate, and finished his last season with over 100 catches.
In terms of negatives, he doesn’t generate a ton of speed down the field and doesn’t separate like that. Because of that, his route tree is mostly limited to short and intermediate routes (as opposed to being used on posts or corners or deep curls). He won’t run away from anyone, which is why his ability to win 50/50 balls is important. His explosiveness in and out of cuts leaves a lot to be desired, and it goes back to playing with one speed; he doesn’t run hard/square cuts too well as he doesn’t generate the speed necessary out of cuts to gain separation, so he relies a lot of speed cuts.
Warren can be an All Pro within his first 2-3 years in the NFL and he doesn’t necessarily have to improve that much on his weaknesses because his strengths are quite special for a tight end. To have that type of physicality and aggressiveness while having such natural hands is special. Warren is an immediate impact player who should compete in the Offensive Rookie of the Year award race.
Fit with the Colts — Realistically, Warren is a great fit for most offenses, but should be an immediate upgrade over Kylen Granson and others in the run game as a blocker. In the red-zone, the Colts won’t have to rely as much on Anthony Richardson and Jonathan Taylor to rush balls in as they have a touchdown machine who is physical with the ball in his hands and can win 1on1 battles. While he won’t be a big help in the deep passing game, he should provide a lot of value in the short to intermediate game.
Player Comparison — Tucker Kraft
