Colts Rookie Has Great Chance to Make Big Impact

The Indianapolis Colts can say they secured one of the best talents of the NFL draft while also addressing their team's biggest need. At pick number 14, Indianapolis took Penn State's Tyler Warren and hopes that he's the answer for the position now and in the future.

The Colts will need more from their quarterback situation to make Warren's impact as seamless as possible, so it's also on Anthony Richardson (or Daniel Jones) to step up their performance.

Regardless, Warren has a massive chance to impact Shane Steichen's offense immediately. Daniel Flick at Sports Illustrated highlights Warren as one of the top round one candidates for an impact.

Here's what Flick broke down.

"The Colts’ tight end room finished 2024 ranked last in receptions, second to last in receiving yards and tied for second to last in receiving touchdowns. Enter Warren, who’s physical, sure-handed, versatile and enough of a playmaker in space to warrant screens and quick passes," wrote Flick.
"Warren alone revitalizes the tight end position in Indianapolis, and the No. 14 pick figures to be a common target for either Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones."

The Colts had nothing from their tight ends last year, and to spare the reader from re-hashing the statistics, in short, Indy had four names in the room and couldn't muster 40 catches as a unit. There's a high likelihood that Warren will overshoot this number in his rookie year alone.

Warren was electric in 2024, winning the Mackey Award for being college's best tight end and hauling in 104 catches for 1,233 receiving yards and eight receiving scores. Warren was also good enough to finish seventh in the Heisman trophy voting.

It's not to say that Colts mainstays like Mo Alie-Cox and Drew Ogletree can't still make an impact, but it will be more as blockers and red zone targets. Warren immediately slots in as the top tight end for Steichen and will look to elevate the efficiency and operation.

This was the selection Indianapolis desperately needed to help the team. Indy secured seven other picks to shore up areas of the roster, but none were a higher priority than tight end. Warren is as sure an option as possible, so it will be a sight to see if he can hit the ground running in 2025.

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