Nate Tice's other draft profiles: Cam Ward | Shedeur Sanders | Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough
Tight ends generally take time to develop. So how do NFL teams gauge when to spend a pick on a player that might have a timeline to productivity that looks more like a MLB draft pick? It’s a steep learning curve to learn to be an NFL tight end, even for the most talented of players. This year’s draft class features a fun group of prospects at the tight end position with different flavors and at projected tier levels. Including two that seem to be considered in a tier of their own at the top.
With apologies to the other talented players at the position this year, Penn State’s Tyler Warren and Michigan’s Colston Loveland have emerged as the consensus top two players amongst tight end prospects. What do Warren and Loveland provide at such a demanding position? And are they worth taking on Day 1 despite the possibility of low early returns? I dove deep on both players to determine who I would give the final nod to on the big board and what each player is bringing to the NFL.
What does Tyler Warren bring to the table?
The first thing that comes up when watching Tyler Warren is locating him on any given play. Warren lined up across the formation at Penn State; he had 281 snaps from the slot in 2024 and 30 snaps as a wildcat quarterback or on sneak plays (finishing with 189 rushing yards). Warren even had a touchdown after being aligned as the de facto center on a play where he made an incredible catch to haul the double-pass in for the score.
Tyler Warren's best catch may have been on this absolute fever dream of a play from Penn State.
— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) April 2, 2025
Just your typical double pass to the center with a full team shift before the snap. With Warren's TD catch being the cherry on top. https://t.co/zsTdqUPoiGpic.twitter.com/EIpD1mkCiK
Warren is a good athlete and was a legitimate receiving threat when split out in college, but his athleticism doesn’t show up with pure speed or twitch. Balance and coordination are where Warren shines. As a receiver, he constantly shows the ability to adjust for passes all around his body and then easily transition into being a runner after hauling in the throw. As ...
