When Indianapolis Colts’ general manager Chris Ballard selected Penn State tight end Tyler Warren in the 2025 NFL draft, he tried mightily to keep his obvious enthusiasm in check. He almost succeeded.
“The last time I felt that good about a pick, it was Quenton.” He was referring to his 2018 first-round pick, Quenton Nelson, who has been to the Pro Bowl in each of his seven seasons and first or second team All-Pro in five. “He’s a unique player,” Ballard said, "and Shane will find unique ways to use him.”
Four games into the 2025 season, Ballard’s prediction appears to be coming true. Warren has helped transform a middling Colts’ offense into one of the league’s best. For his efforts, NFL.com’s Gennaro Felice just named Warren as the third-best rookie through the first quarter of the season. He trails only the Giants’ Abdul Carter (the third pick overall) and Tampa Bay’s Emeka Egbuka (19th overall).
Tyler Warren has breathed new life into the Indianapolis Colts' offense
The uniqueness that Ballard spoke of has been on full display early in the season. Warren has lined up in line and in the slot. He has split out wide and been in the backfield. He has run short crosses and long seams, and has also carried the ball in short yardage situations, scoring one touchdown on the ground while also converting a couple of first downs.
Through four weeks, Warren is second on the team in receptions and leads in receiving yards. His 13.8 yards per catch is an elite number for a tight end and speaks to his remarkable athleticism. He has the speed to run deep routes and the toughness to break tackles and gain yards after the catch.
Warren has already surpassed what the Colts’ top tight ends did throughout a 17-game season last year. Kylen Granson had just 14 catches for 182 yards in the entirety of 2024. Warren already has 19 catches for 263 yards. He is still waiting for his first receiving touchdown, but he has piled up stats in virtually every other category.
That performance has had a major impact on the entire offense. The Colts are also benefitting from the strong play of new quarterback Daniel Jones, but Warren has been a major part of the resurgence.
Indy’s rushing stats early this season are almost identical to what they were in 2024, but the passing attack is far better. The Colts have vaulted from 25th in the league last season to number four this year. They are throwing for almost 65 more yards per game than they did last season.
Their total yards are also up significantly, allowing them to climb from 13th to 4th. Perhaps most importantly, while they averaged a middle-of-the-road 22.2 points per game last year, in 2025, they are one of just four teams to average better than 30.
The line is performing well, and Daniel Jones is running the show beautifully. Jonathan Taylor seems to have regained his dominant 2021 form. The talented wideouts are making plays week in and week out.
And Tyler Warren is right in the middle of all the improvements. He has not gone through the kind of painful adjustment period that many rookies have to survive. Like his GM hinted back in April, Warren has hit the ground running and is only going to get better over time.