In Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts nabbed a perfect pick in Penn State tight end Tyler Warren. There are already high hopes for him, with the goal of the offense using Warren as an immediate starter on all three downs. He certainly seems talented enough to pull that off, and general manager Chris Ballard certainly had strong words of praise for Warren in the post-draft press conference.
According to Ballard, Warren is a tough TE who blocks with "violent intentions" and an "angry mentality," and brings toughness to the Colts offense that it is currently missing. He's also notable as a tight end that can do it all - he's a monster blocker, but he can also catch. Ballard pointed out Penn State's dominant victory over USC last season, in which Warren had 17 receptions in one game.
"That was as dominant a game as you saw from any offensive player in college footbal this year," Ballard said. "To catch 17 balls, on the road, at USC, and they know he's getting the ball. And they just kept feeding it to him! No, he's unique. He's a unique player."
The Colts find their Mike Ditka by selecting Penn State TE Tyler Warren in 2025 NFL Draft
The Colts have struggled to find a tight end capable of making a difference on offense since losing Dallas Clark. Warren will almost certainly be that superstar player the Indianapolis tight end room needs, and he's more of a throwback player than the current Travis Kelce-style tight end that teams tend to go for.
It's safe to say that Kelce redefined the tight end position, and in many ways, he and Warren are very similar, particularly in regards to their size and versatility. But Warren is more reminiscent of legendary tight end (and later, head coach) Mike Ditka.
Kelce encouraged the tight end position to become more of a receiving position, but before Kelce, there was Ditka. He was the first tight end in NFL history to reach 1,000 yards receiving in his rookie season, and was the first tight end to truly turn the position from purely a blocking position, to a position where receiving and blocking were both expected. He was the first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
How is Warren similar to Ditka instead of Kelce? Well, Warren doesn't quite have the speed that Kelce does, and not in the sense that he is slow... but that Warren's movements up and down the field are more akin to a rampage, part of that tough, violent, angry style of play that is more reminiscent of Ditka.
Who knows? Maybe Warren will follow Ditka's footsteps right into the Hall of Fame, too.