Why Colts call run plays for tight end Tyler Warren

Billy Heyen

Why Colts call run plays for tight end Tyler Warren image

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In his NFL debut, Tyler Warren earned a short-yardage carry from a fullback alignment and picked up 3 yards.

It may not have seemed like much, but it was a sign of things to come.

Warren is expected to keep getting rushing attempts with the Indianapolis Colts, who made the Penn State tight end the No. 14 overall pick in April's NFL Draft.

He had seven catches in his debut, tying the league record for most catches by a rookie tight end in his first game (a feat matched by Browns rookie Harold Fannin Jr. in Week 1, too).

But Warren won't just catch the ball in Indy, and for good reason.

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Why do the Colts call run plays for Tyler Warren?

Simply put, the Colts call run plays for Warren because he's very capable of pulling them off.

In his final season at Penn State, Warren ran 26 times for 218 yards and four scores.

The 6-foot-6, 249-pound tight end ran both on QB sneaks and out of the Wildcat formation. He even completed 3-of-6 passes for 35 yards and a touchdown.

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Warren didn't run the 40 at the NFL Combine, but he's certainly big and strong and fast, and he showed that off with great yards after catch ability in his debut.

Expect to see plenty more Warren runs in his NFL career.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle