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Heading into the offseason, Penn State star tight end Tyler Warren was widely expected to hear his name called on Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
One of the most impressive athletes in the Big Ten regardless of position, Warren made plays for the Nittany Lions lined up at tight end, H-back, running back, slot receiver, and even as a Wildcat Quarterback, with his exemplary play helping to lead PSU deep into the College Football Playoffs.
While tight ends may not be the highest profile position in the NFL Draft, with only two going off the board in the first round since 2021, surely Warren's impressive collections of skills, plus the 2024 success of Brock Bowers, would earn him a selection within the first 32 picks come April, right?
Frankly, that evaluation might be underselling Warren's stock, with Eric Edholm of NFL.com predicting the PSU product could go as high as fifth to the Jacksonville Jaguars in April.
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“We're still waiting to see who'll take the GM reins in Jacksonville,” Edholm wrote. “But I can imagine new head coach Liam Coen wanting to support Trevor Lawrence with a do-it-all threat at tight end, even if selecting Warren in the top five feels a tad rich to me.”
Would that be incredibly high for Warren to come off the board? Yes, the initial sticker shock might have surprised more than a few fans around the league, but maybe it shouldn't be, as Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com has the do-it-all PSU pass catcher as his fifth-ranked prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft, too.
“Warren is a massive tight end who carried the Penn State offense this past season. He lined up in line, in the slot, and as a Wildcat quarterback. His production is the result of his size, catch radius, and tenacity. He doesn’t generate a lot of separation as a route runner, but he walls off defenders when on the move. Defenders simply can’t get through his body to make plays on the ball,” Jeremiah wrote.
“He can track the ball over his shoulder, and he can high-point the ball when needed. He isn’t a nifty option-route type of player. After the catch, defenders bounce off him or go along for a ride as he drags them for extra yardage. As a Wildcat quarterback, he creates space with his power and leg drive. He's effective in the run game and looks to finish when possible. Overall, he isn’t as dynamic as Rob Gronkowski was during his career, but Warren is a similar player in a lot of ways.”
Now granted, just because a player is a top-5 ranked player in the NFL Draft doesn't mean they will be drafted in the top-5, as Jeremiah has Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty ranked third on his list, while Edholm only has him going sixth to the Raiders – which is another story for another story – but if you weren't sure if Warren was going to be drafted in the first round, the better question to now ask would be where will he ultimately fall.
