INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tight end Tyler Warren slid right into the Indianapolis Colts hands Thursday night in the NFL draft.
Now they'll have out figure out how to best use his versatility.
General manager Chris Ballard filled his most glaring need by selecting last season's John Mackey Award winner with the No. 14 overall pick.
“Sometimes you're a little lucky,” Ballard said. "He's a good pick for us, adds toughness to our team. The last time I felt this good about a (No. 1) pick — and I liked all of them — was (guard) Quenton Nelson. Like it was easy."
In fact, Ballard acknowledged Warren is a lot like Nelson, the perennial All-Pro guard — right down to his quiet demeanor and dominant play.
The Colts have been searching for a dynamic tight end since two-time Pro Bowler Jack Doyle announced his retirement following the 2021 season. Indy has not had a tight end top the 500-yard mark since Eric Ebron in 2018, and it wasn't because they skipped over the position.
But Indy did not have the draft capital to move up and select Kyle Pitts, who went No. 4 overall in 2021, and Brock Bowers slipped out of their grasp last season when he went two spots ahead of Indy's pick.
This time, the twists worked in their favor.
The Chicago Bears selected tight end Colston Loveland of Michigan ahead of Warren, widely regarded as top tight end in this year's draft class, forcing the Colts to sweat out three more picks.
“It's flavors and fit,” Ballard said, noting they never discussed trading into one of those three spots to get Warren.
So when their turn came, Ballard didn't hesitate to take the guy No. 1 receiver Michael Pittman lobbied for when the team's offseason workouts began.
“He can do a lot now," Ballard said. "He can play multiple spots. He has the quarterback background, he can play in the backfield, he's a great 50-50 ball catcher and he's violent after the catch. He brings an element of toughness I thought we needed offensively. I think (coach) Shane (Steichen) will find unique ways to use him.”
The Colts certainly believe he can help improve an offense that ranked 17th in the league in scoring (22.2 points) and 25th in passing yards at 197.7 per game. And he has the ability to become the middle-of-the-field security blanket — and so much more — could help either Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones become the franchise quarterbacks scouts envisioned when they entered the league. They're now competing for Indy's starting job.
Richardson, the No. 4 overall pick in 2023, had the lowest completion percentage among NFL starters last season at 47.7 percent. The New York Giants used the No. 6 pick in 2019 on Jones. They released him in November at Jones' request.
Warren toiled playing in relative anonymity his first three seasons with the Nittany Lions before catching 34 passes for 412 yards in 2023.
Then last season, he became a national phenomenon. He caught 104 passes for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns, had 26 carries for 218 yards and four TDs while also completing 3 of 6 passes for 35 yards and one TD as the Nittany Lions reached the College Football Playoff semifinals.
He won the Big Ten receptions title and against Pittman's alma mater, Warren finished with 17 catches for 224 yards — tying the FBS single-game record for receptions in a game while becoming just the second tight end in Big Ten history to top 200 yards in a game.
And now he could be lining up part-time in a backfield featuring 2021 NFL rushing champ Jonathan Taylor and a dangerous running quarterback in Richardson.
“He just dominated the (Southern Cal) game in a way you didn't see any other player in college football last year,” Ballard said. “He caught 17 balls on the road and they know he's getting the ball and they just kept feeding it to him. He's a unique player. I'm really excited.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Michael Marot, The Associated Press
