Indianapolis Colts’ rookie tight end Tyler Warren certainly looked the part during the team’s preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens.
Throughout training camp, Warren has been a go-to presence in the passing game for the Colts, particularly over the middle of the field, where he’s a difficult matchup and his reliable hands have been on display.
All of that, along with Warren’s physicality, was on display this past Thursday. Warren caught all three of his passes that came his way, totaling 40 yards with 14 yards coming after the catch.
“I thought it was good to be out there, do it live in a real NFL game setting,” Warren said via Colts.com. “I thought we were flowing pretty well on offense, and I thought it was a good start to learn and grow from.”
According to PFF’s tracking data, two of Warren’s targets came over the middle of the field, and the third was on an intermediate route down the left side.
A screen pass to Warren was also negated early on due to a penalty on the offensive line.
Warren’s impact in the passing game will garner the attention, but he also brings versatility to the Colts’ offense, able to line up across the formation, and he’s a very capable run-blocker as well.
This do-it-all presence brings some unpredictability to Shane Steichen’s offense with all the different roles Warren can fill.
“He’s, pretty much from Day 1, showed up and made a lot of plays for us,” Daniel Jones said of Warren. “Just got a great feel for the game, for space, for getting open and tonight’s the first night we saw him in pads and he has a tendency to fall forward and gain a few more yards than you think. He’s a good football player. I know he’s working hard to improve but he’s been great since he’s been here.”
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: Indianapolis Colts’ rookie TE Tyler Warren shines in preseason debut
Reporting by Paul Bretl, Colts Wire / Colts Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
