This time last year, the Colts were moving through the NFL Combine and draft process knowing they needed a tight end. The majority of mock drafts and projections had the Colts selecting Penn State's Tyler Warren, who was predicted to be a perfect fit for the Colts offense.
Of course, projections don't always mean production. But Warren, who was indeed selected by the Colts as the No. 14 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, didn't just meet his projections – he surpassed them.
"You saw it at Penn State, he's really instinctive, he's really smart," Colts general manager Chris Ballard said at the 2026 NFL Combine as he reflected on Warren's rookie season. "I think for any rookie, especially on both sides of the ball but offensively, a tight end that has to -- I think it's a very difficult position because you got to know the blocking schemes, the passing schemes, the pass protection schemes, the run game. There's so much that you put on them, and his ability – we knew it coming out, that he'd be able to handle it. Now, you didn't know how fast, but we had a pretty good feeling for it."
Warren set a franchise record for most receiving yards by a rookie tight end (817), appearing in all 17 games and recording 76 receptions and four touchdowns, as well as six carries for eight yards and a touchdown. Warren was on the field for 899 of the Colts' 1,075 offensive snaps (sixth-most on the team), and played the sixth-most snaps among all NFL tight ends in the regular season. He also played the most snaps of any rookie tight end by over 100 snaps and played the 12th-most snaps of all rookies in 2025, with nine of the top 11 players being offensive linemen.
He instantly fit in with even his most veteran teammates, thanks to his complete dedication to the game. His no-nonsense mentality meant he was a seamless fit in the culture of the locker room and quickly gained the respect and trust of the rest of his teammates. His physicality and willingness to put his body on the line made him an invaluable part of everything the Colts offense did in the run game, pass game and blocking alike.
"Any time you can have a tight end with his ability to run the routes and block the way he blocks is huge," head coach Shane Steichen said. "To get him in the draft last year where we got him was awesome for us, obviously. And what he was able to do his rookie year, obviously, making the Pro Bowl, was huge. Just an elite player with elite traits. He's an old-school throwback, I like to call him that. Tough, physical, can run all the routes. And at the tight end position, it is unique because he's in line but you can flex him out wide and get the matchups you want on linebackers and safeties to take advantage of that. He's a physical presence."
Per Pro Football Focus, Warren lined up in wildcat formation three times, in the backfield 64 times (mainly as a fullback) and as a receiver – both in the slot and out wide – for a total of 384 snaps. He also made a couple appearances on special teams in kick return and field goal/extra point situations. Technically, Warren lined up as a tight end for 466 snaps, or 51.8 percent of the time.
Warren was the Colts' jack-of-all trades, just like they hoped he would be.
"I feel like just with the tight end position you do a lot of different stuff," Warren said in January. "So being able to kind of have that under your belt after one year and then learning from all that stuff, run game, pass game, you know, some ball carrying that I did, just learning from all that, like I said, and getting better at it."
This is, of course, Warren's first NFL offseason, and he said he plans on focusing on fundamentals, mobility and building even more strength ahead of his second season. He's only 23 years old, and this is just the beginning of his professional career.
"He's going to get better, and that's the exciting thing," Ballard said. "So yeah, excited about him and it didn't surprise me, what he did."
