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If you could draw up the ideal Round 1 scenario for the Indianapolis Colts, what we saw on Thursday night was it.
The team landed Tyler Warren, who many considered the top tight end in this year's class and is an excellent fit for Shane Steichen's offense, and the Colts did so without having to trade up, which leading up to the draft, did seem like that might have to be an option, with many mocks having Warren taken in the top 10.
Warren will give the passing game a much-needed boost, specifically over the middle of the field, but his versatile and well-rounded skill set will bring a new dimension to the Colts' offense and some unpredictability.
So, with the dust having settled on the selection, what grades did NFL draft analysts give the Colts for this pick?
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
Grade: B
Prisco: "This makes sense. Warren is an all-around tight end. He can do a lot of things. The Colts needed an upgrade to make it easier on their quarterbacks. He is a good football player, but is he great at anything?"
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN
Kiper's biggest winners: Colts
Kiper: "I heard teams were trying to trade ahead of the Colts to get one of the top two tight ends. I thought Warren might go to the Jets at No. 7, but they took Armand Membou. Then Colston Loveland -- the other top tight end -- went No. 10 to Chicago. But somehow, someway Warren ended up falling into the Colts' lap four picks later."
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today
Grade: A
Middlehurst-Schwartz: "This pick seemed like a natural pairing in early mock drafts. Then, most prognosticators assumed Warren was ticketed for the top 10. But somehow the hard-charging, do-everything target lands in Indianapolis' lap, giving general manager Chris Ballard a no-brainer here. As a master of racking up yards after the catch, Warren should make his mark early on as someone who can ease the pressure on either Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones."
Rob Rang, FOX Sports
Grade: A
Rang: " I viewed Warren as one of the four true blue-chip prospects in this class (along with Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter and Ashton Jeanty), so clearly I believe he'll prove a steal at this point in the draft. At 6-foot-6 and 256 pounds, Warren possesses the size to contribute as a blocker — unlike most of the other tight ends in this class — and he possesses the agility and body control of a much smaller man, contorting in space to make acrobatic catches look routine. Whether down the seam or sideline, Warren is a matchup monster with All-Pro potential."
Matt Verderame, SI
Grade: A
Verderame: "Warren, who’s regarded by many as the best tight end prospect in the draft, is expected to make life easier for his new quarterback—whether that’s Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones. Warren could end up being a “YAC” monster at the next level due to his reputation of extending plays and forcing missed tackles."
Chad Reuter, NFL.com
Grade: A+
Reuter: "His size (6-5 1/2, 256) and agility in the open field made him a threat against every level of college defenses. He'll be a quarterback-friendly threat in the red zone, over the middle, on short passes and on screens."
Pro Football Focus
Grade: Very Good
PFF: "Tyler Warren is everything NFL offenses look for at tight end: a do-it-all player with day-one impact in the run and pass games. The Penn State standout earned an impressive 93.4 PFF receiving grade this past season with incredible efficiency, having averaged 2.78 yards per route run (97th percentile). Anthony Richardson now has a full complement of playmakers to roll with into the 2025 campaign."
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Indianapolis Colts grades for picking TE Tyler Warren
Continue reading...
The team landed Tyler Warren, who many considered the top tight end in this year's class and is an excellent fit for Shane Steichen's offense, and the Colts did so without having to trade up, which leading up to the draft, did seem like that might have to be an option, with many mocks having Warren taken in the top 10.
Warren will give the passing game a much-needed boost, specifically over the middle of the field, but his versatile and well-rounded skill set will bring a new dimension to the Colts' offense and some unpredictability.
So, with the dust having settled on the selection, what grades did NFL draft analysts give the Colts for this pick?
Indianapolis Colts Day 1 draft grades after picking Tyler Warren
Pete Prisco, CBS Sports
Grade: B
Prisco: "This makes sense. Warren is an all-around tight end. He can do a lot of things. The Colts needed an upgrade to make it easier on their quarterbacks. He is a good football player, but is he great at anything?"
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN
Kiper's biggest winners: Colts
Kiper: "I heard teams were trying to trade ahead of the Colts to get one of the top two tight ends. I thought Warren might go to the Jets at No. 7, but they took Armand Membou. Then Colston Loveland -- the other top tight end -- went No. 10 to Chicago. But somehow, someway Warren ended up falling into the Colts' lap four picks later."
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today
Grade: A
Middlehurst-Schwartz: "This pick seemed like a natural pairing in early mock drafts. Then, most prognosticators assumed Warren was ticketed for the top 10. But somehow the hard-charging, do-everything target lands in Indianapolis' lap, giving general manager Chris Ballard a no-brainer here. As a master of racking up yards after the catch, Warren should make his mark early on as someone who can ease the pressure on either Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones."
Rob Rang, FOX Sports
Grade: A
Rang: " I viewed Warren as one of the four true blue-chip prospects in this class (along with Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter and Ashton Jeanty), so clearly I believe he'll prove a steal at this point in the draft. At 6-foot-6 and 256 pounds, Warren possesses the size to contribute as a blocker — unlike most of the other tight ends in this class — and he possesses the agility and body control of a much smaller man, contorting in space to make acrobatic catches look routine. Whether down the seam or sideline, Warren is a matchup monster with All-Pro potential."
Matt Verderame, SI
Grade: A
Verderame: "Warren, who’s regarded by many as the best tight end prospect in the draft, is expected to make life easier for his new quarterback—whether that’s Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones. Warren could end up being a “YAC” monster at the next level due to his reputation of extending plays and forcing missed tackles."
Chad Reuter, NFL.com
Grade: A+
Reuter: "His size (6-5 1/2, 256) and agility in the open field made him a threat against every level of college defenses. He'll be a quarterback-friendly threat in the red zone, over the middle, on short passes and on screens."
Pro Football Focus
Grade: Very Good
PFF: "Tyler Warren is everything NFL offenses look for at tight end: a do-it-all player with day-one impact in the run and pass games. The Penn State standout earned an impressive 93.4 PFF receiving grade this past season with incredible efficiency, having averaged 2.78 yards per route run (97th percentile). Anthony Richardson now has a full complement of playmakers to roll with into the 2025 campaign."
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Indianapolis Colts grades for picking TE Tyler Warren
Continue reading...
