INDIANAPOLIS — Quenton Nelson was doing Quenton Nelson things one afternoon following a steamy training camp practice when the Indianapolis Colts All-Pro guard was stopped in his tracks by rookie tight end Tyler Warren.
Nelson had made his way to the weight room, a place where he clearly spends a lot of time, for a post-practice workout. There, the massive 330-pound lineman found Warren already well into a workout.
“After the first camp practice, he’s in there doing bicep curls and some [shoulder] shrugs and triceps,” Nelson said. “Like, what are you doing rookie? You’re trying to make me look bad.”
In reality, it is defenders who Warren figures to embarrass this season if his training camp and preseason performances are any indication.
Warren was described by the Colts’ brass as an “easy” selection at 14th overall. And nothing that’s happened in the intervening months between the draft and now suggests they were wrong.
From his sure hands to his physical running after the catch to his development as a blocker, the Colts could not be more pleased with their pick.
“He has really just been a great rookie,” Nelson said.
Nelson is not alone. Coaches have been struck, in particular, by Warren’s overall toughness and physicality that they believe will set a tone for the team.
“I think his physicalness that he brings, watching him in live action last week was phenomenal,” coach Shane Steichen said. “Just the way he lowers his shoulder in the open field to get those extra tough yards, the physicality he brings to our football team, is going to be phenomenal.”
That was likely a reference to Warren’s first preseason action, on Aug. 7, when Warren caught a pass on a short crossing route from quarterback Daniel Jones, then turned up the field with a full head of steam. As defenders approached, Warren did not break stride. Instead he ran through safety Beau Brade, who made the only reasonable decision by deciding to go low to tackle Warren. Brade got Warren on the ground — barely — but the safety definitely took the brunt of the contact on the play.
“I think for tight ends, especially being able to be in bigger bodies, being able to break tackles is kind of expected when you do get the ball,” Warren said.
He seemed to grin slyly as he described his physical play.
“It’s part of it, so I think it’s important to embrace it or else you’re going to deal with consequences,” he said.
Cinema. pic.twitter.com/Py7pCVcKjF
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) August 1, 2025
The play in Baltimore was an example of something the Colts will feature prominently in their offense: Plays that give Warren an opportunity to gain yards after the catch. The Colts projected Warren to be a player who would thrive in the open field, and those projections are proving true. It’s the combination of his physical running but also his impressive body control that allows the 6-6, 256-pound Warren to run like a player with a smaller stature.
“When he catches a ball, it’s just those natural instincts to weave it,” assistant general manager Ed Dodds said. “I think the first day [of camp], there was a screen and just how he maneuvered in and out of traffic and let his block set up, I mean, it was just natural.”
To that end, look for tight end screens to be among the ways Warren will be most utilized. But it won’t stop there. The Colts want to tap into the full spectrum of Warren’s skills, which include running the ball as a standard ball carrier.
Warren’s 26 carries from scrimmage for 218 yards and four touchdowns in his senior season at Penn State are worth noting. The Colts have said they are open to doing similar things with him at the NFL level.
But, above all, Warren was drafted to be a receiving tight end. And he’s earned the right to get his share of targets by displaying his reliable hands in training camp. Warren had one of the most head-turning highlights of camp when he corralled an overthrown ball in midair with his left hand, tipping the ball to himself and securing it while falling to the ground.
The next week, he made a diving catch across the middle of the field, stretching out horizontally to catch the ball the way a traditional wide receiver might. Those are the kinds of plays that became routine from Warren during camp and the sort of play the Colts think he can produce regularly this season.
There are very few bad throws to players with Warren’s superior catch radius and hands.
“We know when the ball is in his vicinity, he’s got a high-percentage [chance] of catching the football,” Steichen said.
But there’s another aspect of the game that NFL tight ends have to learn if they are going to be complete players: The blocking. Warren might not be regarded for this area of his game, but he is a diligent worker who understands its importance. And, much like he was that day in the weight room, he’s been putting in the effort to become better.
He already seems to an understanding of the seriousness of the job.
“Even in college, a little missed hand placement’s going to get you beat,” he said. “But, here, it’s completely blown up.”
Said Dodds: “I always kind of think it’s like a boxer: He who makes first contact usually wins. So, it’s just getting better with his hands, which he is…. The good ones, they always initiate that contact and see the initiative.”
That’s what passes for a criticism of Warren around Indianapolis. So far, he’s everything the Colts had hoped and — as Nelson learned that day in the weight room — maybe a little more.
