Colts' Tyler Warren Pick Receives Draft Grade

The Indianapolis Colts have selected Penn State's Tyler Warren, the winner of the 2024 Mackey Award and a dominant offensive weapon for the Nittany Lions. This was a no-brainer from general manager Chris Ballard with the 14th overall selection.

Warren was a force in 2024, hauling in a fantastic 104 catches for 1,233 receiving yards and eight touchdown hauls. He also played the running back position, getting the chance at 26 attempts for 218 rushing yards and another four trips to paydirt.

This pick gets an easy A, especially given the void that Indy's tight end group left the offense in 2024. The entire room logged a measly 39 catches and looked hapless as receiving weapons. After the Colts re-signed Mo Alie-Cox to a small one-year deal, but that's for veteran leadership and depth.

Given the names behind Alie-Cox are Drew Ogletree and Will Mallory, the Colts desperately needed a game-changer at tight end like Warren. Expect the talented offensive weapon to make an impact for the Colts right away and take over as the undisputed starter, not only due to his draft position, but pure potential in Shane Steichen's offense.

As for the quarterbacks, it doesn't matter if Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones starts, Warren will help secure the middle of the field and operate well as a yards-after-catch machine once the ball is in his hands. Warren can also utilize his skills to be a sure-fire target for any struggling quarterback, especially Richardson, who struggled badly with his accuracy.

Warren is the closest thing to a pure answer at the position and what Indy needed more than anything. While it's far too soon to speculate how Warren will perform as a rookie tight end, it's not too early to believe he will be better than any player who performed last year in the room.

Ballard didn't overthink this or trade, and it has the potential to pay off in spades.

Grade: A