The Indianapolis Colts pulled off a major win in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, when they were able to nab Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, widely believed to be their top choice from the beginning. While there was never any doubting that Warren would be a good fit for the Colts, the big problem was whether or not he would last until the 14th pick. There were numerous teams interested in him, but as fate would have it, Warren was available.
Warren will be a huge asset to the Colts offense. He can block, he can catch, and he is widely seen to be an instant starter, someone who can be immediately added to an offense and begin making a difference on Week 1, playing all three downs.
His skill set will also be a positive for quarterback Anthony Richardson and the Colts; as a dual-threat QB, Richardson will have more lanes to run in, and a dynamic tight end who can give him another reliable option to throw to - something he has, so far, lacked. Richardson, despite having trouble with consistency, is known for his ability to make explosive plays, and Warren will undoubtedly add to that.
Hopefully, with Warren on board, the Colts tight end room will see massive improvement in 2025. But with that problem addressed, who should the Colts target in Round 2?
Carson Schwesinger, LB, UCLA
General manager Chris Ballard has made some great progress towards rebuilding last season's abysmal defense - he fired Gus Bradley and hired Lou Anarumo, and made some great additions in free agency, with the signings of Cam Bynum and Charvarius Ward. Yet there are still some massive holes on the defense needing to be filled, and the biggest is at linebacker.
Currently, the only reliable linebacker the Colts have is Zaire Franklin. They lost both E.J. Speed and Grant Stuard in free agency, and while Jaylon Carlies is still on the roster, he is still young and had numerous major injuries last season. Indianapolis needs another linebacker to, at the absolute least, provide more depth and competition at the position.
Enter Schwesinger.
Schwesinger is an excellent linebacker who is strong in coverage, and would likely fit well into the Colts' new defensive scheme. He's an elite athlete, a great tackler, and has shown to have the ability to instinctually anticipate and disrupt plays. He's still young, and so might not be a full-time starter right away, but he should be able to begin making an impact on the defense right away.