Colts' Riley Leonard Raves About Tyler Warren

When you're a young quarterback trying to make it in the NFL, it's always wise to not overcomplicate things and just find your reliable teammates.

From the first day of rookie minicamp practice on Friday, Indianapolis Colts sixth-round pick Riley Leonard knew to look for first-round tight end Tyler Warren.

“Yeah, man. Look, Tyler, he’s a football player," Leonard said to reporters on Saturday following the second day of rookie minicamp. "Like, he went out there (Friday) and just very easily adapted -- he’s a quarterback-friendly guy, catches, soft hands, and things like that.

"Tyler Warren is like you strap up those pads, that’s another version of that dude," Leonard continued. "Some guys are just football players, and he’s definitely one of them. You can kind of tell. When he gets his hand in the dirt and straps it up, I’m excited to see it because I obviously saw it in person when we played him in the playoffs. It was fun to watch, kind of.”

Leonard didn't just learn about Warren, either, as the quarterback's Notre Dame Fighting Irish defeated Warren's Penn State Nittany Lions in the Orange Bowl during the most recent College Football Playoffs, 27-24. Warren had eight touches for 96 yards in the game, while Leonard threw for 223 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, as well as 35 yards and another touchdown on 18 carries.

On the very first snap of 7-on-7 team drills on Friday, Leonard quickly looked toward Warren and fired a short pass to him around the right hash, which Warren ran with for several more would-be yards. Leonard continued to target the Colts' young stud tight end over the following two days.

Warren had breathtaking production and usage as a tight end for Penn State in 2024, totaling 1,451 yards from scrimmage and 13 touchdowns while touching the ball 136 times between receptions, carries, and passes. He also punted the ball once, as if that weren't enough.

“I’m excited to be here and get back in the flow of football," Warren said on Friday. "Actually getting on the field and playing football after this long process, where I was doing a lot of stuff that wasn’t football. It was good to be out here with everybody and get back in the flow.”