The Indianapolis Colts landed their dream prospect with the No. 14 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Entering the offseason, the Colts — and the entire NFL — knew Indianapolis needed to upgrade the tight end position. Though it was risky sitting put at No. 14, arguably the top tight end in Penn State star Tyler Warren.
Warren is a blue-chip prospect and exactly the type of player Indianapolis needed to help improve the offense.
Despite a career of modest production that included 49 receptions for 606 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns over his first four collegiate seasons, Warren broke out in a massive way during the 2024 season. The fifth-year senior recorded 104 receptions for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns.
Here's how the NFL experts graded the Colts' selection of Warren:
Colts NFL draft grades for Tyler Warren
Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News: A+
Iyer: "The Colts should be thrilled for getting their top target at any position, surviving the Bears taking a different tight end four picks earlier. Warren is a great chess piece with more athletic upside for Shane Steichen than his former top Eagles starter, Dallas Goedert. He can complement their big-play receivers well on short-to-intermediate routes all over the field for either Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones."
Prisco: "This makes sense. Warren is an all-around tight end. He can do a lot of things. The Colts needed an upgrade to make it easier on their quarterbacks. He is a good football player, but is he great at anything?
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY: A
Middlehurst-Schwartz: "This pick seemed like a natural pairing in early mock drafts. Then, most prognosticators assumed Warren was ticketed for the top 10. But somehow the hard-charging, do-everything target lands in Indianapolis' lap, giving general manager Chris Ballard a no-brainer here. As a master of racking up yards after the catch, Warren should make his mark early on as someone who can ease the pressure on either Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones."
Charles McDonald, Yahoo Sports: C+
McDonald: "Tyler Warren is a great player, but the Colts haven’t been the best at actually getting the ball to some of their talented targets recently. His best role is probably as a big slot player, but that’s already filled by Josh Downs. He’ll need to improve as an in-line blocker, but the athleticism and skill set should help him make an impact early even if the fit with Anthony Richardson is a bit dubious."
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