His team desperately needed an athletic tight end to attack the middle of the field and open up the Indianapolis offense for quarterback Anthony Richardson, wideouts Michael Pittman Jr. and Josh Downs, and running back Jonathan Taylor.

The Indianapolis Colts selected Penn State tight end Tyler Warren in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Warren was selected No. 14 overall on Thursday, joining former teammate Abdul Carter as former Nittany Lion stars drafted in round one. Carter was drafted No. 3 overall by the New York Giants.

The Colts knew they liked Warren’s tape. The more they met with the tight end, the more he became an ideal player for Indianapolis. When Warren was 8 years old, before his first season of tackle football, his father pulled up YouTube videos of Riggins, the Washington bruiser who ran through and over tacklers on his way to the Hall of Fame.