The first 13 picks of the 2025 NFL draft played out perfectly for the Indianapolis Colts, who were able to land Penn State tight end Tyler Warren–a player commonly selected in mock drafts, but whether or not he made it to pick No. 14 was the great unknown.

The addition of Warren fills a big need at the tight end position, and his skill set allows him to impact the game in a variety of ways, not only through the air.

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Here are five things to know about Warren, the Colts‘ 2025 first-round pick:

Tyler Warren provides that needed passing game presence

It’s been a number of years since the Colts have had a steady contributor in the passing game from the tight end position. Indianapolis hasn’t had an individual tight end eclipse 500 receiving yards since 2018, and last season, the entire tight end room didn’t even hit that mark.

Warren finished the 2024 season hauling in 104 receptions for 1,230 yards. Among all tight ends, Warren ranked second in both those categories. If we include wide receivers as well, Warren was still third in all of college football in receptions and sixth in yards, per PFF.

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GM Chris Ballard spoke about Warren’s ability to impact the passing game over the middle of the field, and with his combination of size and sure hands, he’s someone who always seems to be open.

The USC game told the Colts everything they needed to know

The Colts, of course, studied up on Warren throughout the pre-draft process and had him in for a 30 visit as well. But from the sounds of it, watching Warren’s performance against USC was all they needed to see.

On the road for that game, with the USC defense knowing where the ball was going, they still couldn’t stop Warren. In that game alone, Warren was targeted 20 times, catching 17 of those passes for 224 yards with one touchdown, per PFF.

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“Look, all you’ve got to do is put the USC game on. I didn’t need the playoffs,” Ballard said via the team site. “I mean, he had done enough one game to go like, ‘Holy cow, man. This guy’s got some unique stuff in him.'”

Warren’s impact goes well beyond the passing game

Finding a steady presence in the passing game from the tight end position was a must for the Colts and Warren can provide that. However, his impact goes beyond just that facet of the game.

Warren is also a very capable run blocker and versatile as well, able to line up across the formation, including out of the backfield. When an offense has that do-it-all presence at the tight end position, it adds some unpredictability to that unit, with that player able to fill so many roles. This not only creates opportunities for Warren to exploit but others in the offense as well.

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“This is a big man, now,” said Colts’ scout Chad Henry said. “That’s one thing — we have a hard time finding guys that size because it’s 230-pound guys, they’re basically extra receivers. This guy happens to be an extra receiver who can also knock the crap out of people on the line of scrimmage and in space.”

Warren adds “toughness” to the offense

As Warren has detailed, he wore the No. 44 at Penn State because growing up, his father would show him John Riggins’ highlights, wanting Tyler to carry the ball with a similar mentality.

That play-style shows up when Warren is blocking and when he has the ball in his hands, and is an element the Colts wanted to add to their offense.

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“He can do a lot now,” Ballard said via Horseshoe Huddle. “I mean, he can play multiple spots. He’s got the quarterback background, so he can play in the backfield. He’s a great 50-50 ball catcher. After the catch, he’s violent after the catch. He brings an element of toughness that I thought we needed to add offensively.”

What the draft experts said about Warren

For a closer look at Warren’s game, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had this to say in his scouting report:

“Overall, Warren still has developing to do as a route runner and blocker, but he is an agile-footed big man who naturally tracks the football with dependable hands and a hunger to create after the catch. He projects as a rookie NFL starter with traditional qualities, as well as the schematic versatility to be a multi-tool weapon for a play caller.”

This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 2025 NFL draft: 5 Things to know about Colts’ Tyler Warren