Indianapolis Colts rookie tight end Tyler Warren made a strong impression during the team’s offseason programs.
He was often active in the passing game, regardless of who was under center, and while for any rookie, there is going to be a learning curve that comes with making the jump to the NFL level, helping Warren navigate it is how quickly he has acclimated to the offense along with his ability to note make the same mistake twice.
“I think the great thing about him — very smart football player. He picks up things very quickly,” Shane Steichen said of Warren during minicamp, via NBC Sports. “You tell him once, he’s got a good feel for it. And even if he’s got to correct something, he’s got a great mindset of getting it corrected on the next time he goes out there.”
Given the Colts‘ need for help in the passing game from the tight end position, that part of Warren’s game will garner the most attention. Last season at Penn State, he logged over 100 receptions and more than 1,200 receiving yards.
As GM Chris Ballard highlighted after the NFL draft, over the middle of the field, where Warren can be a very difficult matchup with his combination of size, athleticism, and pass-catching reliability, is where he can be a real threat through the air.
However, Warren’s impact isn’t going to stop there. Along with his contributions to the Penn State passing game, Warren filled a variety of roles within that offense, and he can bring that same versatility to the Colts offense.
Warren can line up across the formation, whether it’s in the slot, outside, or even in the backfield. And from those alignments, he can attack multiple levels of the field in the pass game. But also not to be overlooked is Warren’s ability to impact the run game as a blocker–which is a key element to playing tight end in Steichen’s offense.
When there is this do-it-all type of presence at the tight end position, it adds a lot of flexibility for Steichen as he builds out his weekly game plans and even adds some unpredictability to the offense as well.
Where Warren is lined up or what the down-and-distance is aren’t going to be tells for a defense because he can shoulder so many different responsibilities. This can then create mismatches for not only Warren to exploit, but it can open up opportunities for his teammates as well.
“He’s been phenomenal so far,” added Steichen. “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.”
As Steichen mentioned, the pads still have to come on, but from Day 1, Warren can play a big role in this offense and impact the game in a number of ways.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Shane Steichen evaluates Colts TE Tyler Warren’s offseason performance