Colts' Chris Ballard Describes Feeling Drafting Tyler Warren

From the moment the Indianapolis Colts' season ended in January, it was pretty obvious to see who one of their best fits in the draft would be. Penn State's Tyler Warren was actually still playing after the Colts' season concluded, as the tight end dominated his way into the College Football Playoffs.

The Colts and their rhythmless passing offense needed a player like Warren, who was putting up numbers well beyond what the Colts' best receivers were. Warren's 1,233 yards on the season were more than two-and-a-half times what the Colts' tight ends produced as a group.

On Thursday night, it all came to fruition as the Colts used the 14th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Warren.

“He can do a lot now," Colts GM Chris Ballard told reporters when asked about what Warren brings to the offense. "I mean, he can play multiple spots. He's got the quarterback background, so he can play in the backfield. He's a great 50-50 ball catcher. After the catch, he's violent after the catch. He brings an element of toughness that I thought we needed to add offensively.”

For a moment Thursday night, it looked iffy on if the Colts would be able to get Warren. Fellow tight end Colston Loveland went No. 10 overall to the Chicago Bears, and there were three teams up to bat before the Colts. However, Ballard's confidence didn't waver.

“Nope, nope, nope. Had a good feeling," Ballard answered when asked if the Colts considered trading up to get Warren. "We work really hard at this to kind of figure – team needs, our pro scouts do an unbelievable job of, ‘Alright, here's what they need.’ No, felt good about it.

"I'll tell you this," Ballard continued. "The last time I felt that good about pulling a pick, and I felt good about all of them, but was Quenton (Nelson). Like, it was easy. It was easy. There wasn't a lot of discussion.”

The Colts drafted guard Quenton Nelson with the sixth-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and he's made the Pro Bowl every year of his career, so the Colts must have lofty expectations for Warren's career.

In the short term, arguably the biggest area that Warren helps the Colts is with helping the quarterback. Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones will battle it out this offseason for the right to be the starting QB, and having such a strong security blanket like Warren will help add stability.

“I mean, it'll help," Ballard said of Warren helping the quarterbacks. "There are a lot of different ways. But like, the ability to really threaten the middle of the field, I think it's going to open some things up for us offensively. Plus, being a really big target, I mean, I think that's a plus. It's kind of one of those guys that's always open, you know? That's part of his uniqueness. Like, his hands are pretty rare. I thought he had the best hands of any player in the draft. So, he's a unique dude.”

So, how does Ballard feel getting a player in the middle of the first round who fills his team's biggest need and has been projected to the Colts for months?

“Sometimes you get a little lucky."

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