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Colts pull off massive first round heist with Penn State's Tyler Warren

Maybe patience really is a virtue?!
Cameron Ellis
Cameron Ellis

Horseshoe Heroes

Bowling Green v Penn State / Scott Taetsch/GettyImages

Patience really is a virtue.

For a few minutes there, things got a little nervy for Colts fans who were hoping to land Penn State's Tyler Warren. After the Bears' two most-talked-about options (Ashton Jeanty and Kelvin Banks Jr.) weren't on the board by the time they picked at 10, a lot of people figured Warren would end up in Chicago.

RELATED: Colts put Anthony Richardson on notice after drafting Tyler Warren in Round 1

Instead, the Bears went with Michigan's Colston Loveland, which was music to Colts' fans ears. Just a few picks later, the Colts made the easiest decision of their weekend and picked Warren, who was far-and-away the best player still available. Not only that, but they landed arguably the best prospect at a position of need. As far as first impressions go for the pick, that's a hard combo to beat.


The Colts got an absolute steal with Tyler Warren at the 14th overall pick

Most importantly, the Colts' desperately needed a tight end. And while Warren will play 95% of his snaps there, anyone who watched Penn State – or did draft prep – will tell you he can do way more than that.

In three years at Penn State, Warren put up over 1800 recieving yards on 153 catches with 19 touchdowns; he led the Big 10 in receptions his senior season (104) and finished seventh in Heisman voting. He'll be a breath of fresh air in a tight end room that was one of the league's worst last year: of all tight ends on their roster, Kylen Granson led the group in receiving yards (182) and receptions (14).

And, you know, maybe he plays a few snaps at quarterback or wide receiver or literally any offensive position. That's the beauty of Warren's game – he can do that. And the Colts didn't have to trade up to get him. That's what those in the biz call a good night.

Cameron Ellis

Cameron Ellis

Cam Ellis is an NFL staff writer for FanSided, specializing in covering all 32 teams across the league, including the Las Vegas Raiders. He has a decade of experience in sports media, having spent time at 680 The Score in Chicago, ABC Denver, and NBC Sports Washington. Since 2014 his work has been featured on NBC Sports Chicago, The Ralphie Report, and various sites across Minute Media and FanSided. In his career he has covered the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, free agency, and is a regular part of gameday coverage.