Let’s dive into the big question facing Tyler Warren and the Colts’ tight end position with training camp near.
The Indianapolis Colts’ rookies will report for training camp on July 21st, the veterans on July 22nd, and the first practice will take place on July 23rd.
So with training camp almost here, we will be taking a position-by-position look at the Colts‘ roster, specifically examining the one big question that faces each unit.
Up next are the tight ends. If you missed our other previews, you can find them below.
How quickly and how big of an impact can Tyler Warren have?
Perhaps we already have an idea of what the answers to those questions are: pretty quick and a big one.
As Stephen Holder, who covers the Colts for ESPN, wrote following minicamp, it was “practically impossible to watch an Indianapolis practice and not notice how often Warren touched the football.”
Warren will provide the Colts with their much-needed passing game threat from the tight end position. As GM Chris Ballard mentioned after the draft, Warren’s combination of sure hands, size, and athleticism makes him a real threat over the middle of the field.
The passing game will undoubtedly be what garners the attention, but when it comes to Warren’s overall impact on the offense, it goes well beyond just that phase of the game.
As we saw during his time at Penn State, Warren can line up across the formation. He is also a very capable blocker as well.
When a tight end can fill a do-it-all role, he adds a level of unpredictability to the offense with opponents unable to get a beat on what’s coming simply based on where players are lined up or who is on the field. This not only creates opportunities for Warren to exploit, but that element can also help create opportunities for his teammates.
“He’s been phenomenal so far,” Shane Steichen said of Warren, via NBC Sports. “Obviously, I know we don’t have pads on, but his movement skills, great feel, great instincts. It’ll be good this week to get another week of that work in, and then going into training camp will be great for him.”
Bonus question: How does the rest of the tight end depth chart shake out?
Along with Warren, there is Drew Ogletree, who has primarily handled blocking duties during his career. The Colts also brought back Mo Alie-Cox, who can help fill a similar role and has ample experience in Shane Steichen’s offense.
I expect Alie-Cox to be on the final roster, but his one-year contract doesn’t quite make him a lock either. My guess right now is that Will Mallory and Jelani Woods compete for the final roster spot as the receiving-first tight end on the depth chart. For what it’s worth, Mallory had a strong start during offseason programs.