With the offseason arriving for the Indianapolis Colts, there may not be a bigger positional need than tight end.
Not since 2019 has any Colts tight end pulled in 400 or more yards receiving when Jack Doyle compiled just 448, and it's been since Eric Ebron's 750-yard 2018 season that any Colts tight end has reached 500 or more receiving yards.
That's partly why Jordan Reid of ESPN predicted the Colts will land All-American tight end Tyler Warren out of Penn State with the No. 14 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
"Anthony Richardson needs more quality players to throw to in the pass game. Warren would help fill that void, as his alignment versatility makes him one of the most dangerous targets in the country. The 6-foot-6, 257-pound Warren's 77.2 receiving yards per game ranks second among FBS tight ends. Not only did he accumulate 98 catches for 1,158 yards and eight touchdowns, but he's also a dependable run blocker who could assist the Colts' rushing attack," Reid wrote.
In the last five seasons since 2019, seven different Indianapolis tight ends recorded at least one catch, with the closest to the 400-yard receiving mark coming in 2020 when Mo Alie-Cox compiled just 394.
It is now clear that trying to find a diamond in the rough has not worked for Indianapolis in terms of developing tight ends. Even heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, Colts general manager Chris Ballard reportedly tried to trade up for eventual Las Vegas Raiders' first-round tight end Brock Bowers.
Playing on a 4-13 Raiders team, Bowers still broke records for receiving yards (1,194) among rookie tight ends and receptions (112) among all rookies in NFL history.
While Penn State was defeated in the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs, Warren posted 96 total yards on eight touches. That brought his season total to 1,451 scrimmage yards on 130 touches, the most by a collegiate tight end this season.
Despite posting mostly pedestrian numbers during his first couple of seasons in University Park, Warren has firmly established himself as one of the top 2025 NFL Draft offensive selections in a season that earn himself the John Mackey award — given to the best tight end in college football.
Since 2017, five of the last six Mackey Award winners, have reeled in at least 960 receiving yards in a single season at the pro level. Warren is not only the top tight end on Pro Football Focus (PFF)'s 2025 NFL Draft Big Board, but he is also the 13th-ranked player overall.
Ballard himself said that he has been disappointed with second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson's development, and while much of that boils down to an inability to stay healthy, it seems that the Colts' inability to field a reliable tight end for Richardson to target has also stunted his growth.
Warren, who stands at 6-feet-6-inches and 257 pounds, would provide the size, speed and strength necessary to succeed as a top-level NFL tight end that Richardson could use as a safety blanket of sorts.
That would also free up talented wideouts like Josh Downs and Michael Pittman Jr. to be used in a more traditional receiving role, rather than being called upon for checkdowns.
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