INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts selected Penn State tight end Tyler Warren with the 14th pick in the NFL draft Thursday night, filling a void they have had since Jack Doyle retired after the 2021 season.
The most glaring offensive need heading into this offseason was the lack of a play-making tight end. Indy has not had a tight end crack the 500-yard mark in a single season since Eric Ebron in 2018. The Colts ranked 17th in the league last season with 22.2 points and finished 25th in passing yards at 197.7 per game.
If Warren becomes the dynamic, versatile player he was last season at Penn State, the Colts will have more than a security-blanket type receiver over the middle.
He could help quarterback Anthony Richardson fulfill the promise Colts scouts saw in him when they took him No. 4 overall in 2023. Last season, though, he had worst completion percentage of any starter in the NFL at 47.7%.
That prompted general manager Chris Ballard to sign free agent Daniel Jones, the No. 6 overall selection in 2019 by the New York Giants, to challenge Richardson for the starting job.
Warren had 104 catches for 1,238 yards and eight touchdowns with the Nittany Lions. He also had 26 carries for 218 yards and four TDS while also completing 3 of 6 passes for 35 yards and one more TD.
He won the John Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end and 2024 John Mackey Award and also was named the 2024 Big Ten Tight End of the Year.
