Colts' Tyler Warren Might Not Have Impact You Think

The Indianapolis Colts seem to have solved their tight end problem after drafting Penn State's Tyler Warren with the 14th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. Warren fits what Indy needs at the position perfectly, possessing a beautiful blend of receiving, blocking, and leadership qualities to help the Colts get their first real tight end since Jack Doyle.

The Colts have a talented offensive roster, consisting of names like Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce, and Jonathan Taylor. Bleacher Report's Matt Holder brings up this very point as the sole concern for Warren.

"There’s no question that Warren will enter training camp as the top tight end in Indianapolis. The bigger mystery is where he’ll fall in the passing game’s pecking order with Michael Pittman, Alec Pierce and Josh Downs out wide. Granted, the answer might depend on who wins the quarterback battle between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones."

Despite a literal broken back, Pittman was a solid target for Indy last year, securing 69 catches for 808 receiving yards and three touchdowns. This came with inconsistent to poor QB play from Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco, so Pittman deserves a break, and likely reclaims his crown as the Colts' top pass-catcher.

Downs has emerged as a safety blanket for Indy's offense. Yes, as mentioned above, Pittman likely gets back to the 'top target' designation if he's back to 100%, but Downs is becoming a problem for defenses to handle while slowly climbing to become 'the guy' in the pass attack. He'll continue to thrive due to his talent and is assured to take away targets from Warren.

Pierce isn't a target hog but will essentially dominate any deep throw play calls. Pierce was an anomaly in 2024, becoming the NFL's deadliest deep threat the minute Richardson or Flacco entered the QB spot; both quarterbacks fit Pierce epically with their throwing arms, as he notched 824 yards on just 37 grabs and a team-leading seven receiving TDs. If Warren is drawn up deep, Pierce likely takes that target away.

Lastly is Taylor, who resumed the numbers of a true workhouse out of the backfield. The two-time Pro Bowler and former All-Pro compiled 1,431 rushing yards on 303 carries over 14 games. He also hit paydirt 11 times on the ground and once through the air. Taylor is nearly zero threat to Warren in the passing game, but is Indy's best player until proven otherwise, and can handle 30-plus carries if needed. This takes pass-catching plays away from Warren.

In short, Warren has competition for rookie impact. But, even if Warren can achieve 40-plus catches for 500-plus yards and have a significant red zone presence, you're happy for your rookie tight end and their future.

Warren can also take on plenty of blocking duties, which he'll need to with the way Indy's offense establishes itself on the gridiron. Whatever Warren's numbers turn out to be, he'll still be an impact player who'll be leaned on for help, whether the dirty work or making plays as a receiver.

But quarterback and runner can't be ruled out for Warren, so expect Shane Steichen, Tom Manning (tight ends coach), and Jim Bob Cooter (offensive coordinator) to unleash him as much as humanly possible.

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