No mystery exists in who the hype is about. The Indianapolis Colts chose tight end Tyler Warren with the 14th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Tight ends are mostly glorified offensive linemen in the NFL, but some can transcend that role and become icons. Warren has a lot of pressure on him.
Pro Football Focus (subscription required) believes he can live up to it as a rookie, though. The site gave Warren the nod on its preseason All-Rookie team, and truth be told, if Warren doesn't land on the year-ending list, something has gone quite wrong.
The Colts not only hope Warren can be good in year one, but they need him to be. The team is starting Daniel Jones as quarterback, and he is the check-down master. He has been turnover-averse in his career, so he won't risk throwing deep. Warren should get a bunch of targets underneath coverage.
Tyler Warren on the verge of having great rookie season for the Indianapolis Colts
PFF wrote, "The 14th overall selection played 34 total snaps, registering an 86.8 overall PFF grade — the second-best among all qualified tight ends in August. Warren displayed his receiving prowess with an elite 89.1 PFF receiving grade, averaging a whopping 3.25 yards per route run with a 13.2-yard average depth of target."
That last part is extremely important. Not only is Warren the kind of tight end who is sure-handed and will be available should his quarterback need to look shorter rather than throw long (as Jones is apt to do), but Warren will find a space in coverage that is already in first-down yardage. He won't set up a lot of third-and-fours, but instead quite a few first downs.
At Penn State last year, Warren had more than 100 receptions but just eight touchdowns. He is clearly capable of scoring points, but that isn't his real value. He will keep the Colts on the field with important catches that pick up first downs. This will allow the offense to stay on the field and give the defense more rest.
Oddly, as a limited quarterback, Jones is, overall, the way he plays might be great for Tyler Warren. The rookie is going to see a lot of targets, and that is good for the offense. Eventually, the defense will begin to focus much more on the tight end, and that will open things up for wide receivers such as Michael Pittman and Josh Downs.
The Indianapolis Colts might not lead the NFL in scoring, but Warren could help lead them in drive efficiency (points scored per drive), and that might be enough to get Indy into the playoffs.