Colts Pick Penn State's Tyler Warren in First Round

The Indianapolis Colts selected Tyler Warren with the No. 14 pick in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Warren, a tight end from Penn State, had an impressive college career, with 104 catches for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns last year, leading the Big Ten in receptions. He also showcased his versatility by contributing to the run game, earning 218 yards and four touchdowns.

The pick addresses a need for the Colts at the tight end position, where they struggled to find production in the 2024 season. In fact, the team didn't have a single tight end record over 200 receiving yards that year.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard expressed his enthusiasm about the pick, saying it's "as good as he's feeling about a pick since Quenton Nelson." When asked about the selection process, Ballard revealed that there wasn't much discussion involved.

"I've got to be able to give Shane (Steichen) and them a guy that can really control the middle of the field that teams have to account for and defend. I just haven’t been able to do that," Ballard said about his team's struggles at the tight end position.

Warren met with the Colts at the NFL Combine, where he impressed Ballard and the rest of the organization. He even expressed admiration for Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, saying it would be "cool" to play with him.

"He’s definitely one of a kind and a heck of an athlete at the quarterback position and is a great quarterback too," Warren said about Richardson.

Warren has played in Indianapolis before, having faced the Colts as part of the Penn State team that played Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game. He's not bothered by being the second tight end taken in the draft, saying he's just "excited to be a Colt."

In his college career, Warren won the John Mackey Award in 2024, given to the top tight end in college football. However, he didn't always start as the best player at his position. He only played in two games during his freshman year and didn't eclipse 200 career receiving yards until his fourth season.

Warren attributes his unselfishness to be his best trait, saying that whether it's catching passes or blocking for his teammates, he'll do whatever it takes to help the team win.

"Whether its catching 15 passes a game of having a hundred run block reps, I’m going to do either of those to the best of my ability and if we win, I’m going to be happy either way," Warren said.