The Indianapolis Colts’ offseason has consisted of adding competition in the quarterback room, the loss of owner Jim Irsay, and the evaluation of Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen. Indianapolis’ biggest move was adding former Penn State tight end Tyler Warren.
Indianapolis hasn’t had a tight end record 1,000 yards since 2009 with Dallas Clark. The former Iowa Hawkeye recorded 1,106 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns that season.
Let’s not mince words about the Indianapolis Colts’ tight end position. The group underperformed last season and wasn’t featured in the passing game. Indy’s tight end room included Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Andrew Ogletree, Jelani Woods, who suffered a toe injury in August 20224, and Will Mallory.
Alie-Cox was the most tenured tight end and recorded a woeful 147 receiving yards and one touchdown. The former Virginia Commonwealth basketball product hasn’t recorded more than 394 receiving yards in seven seasons.
Granson departed Indy for the Philadelphia Eagles in March. The former Rice and SMU tight end was servicable, but never blossomed with the Colts. Granson has recorded 86 catches, 958 receiving yards, and one touchdown since entering the NFL in 2022.
Mallory was a fifth-round draft pick in 2023, coming from the University of Miami. Mallory has been used sparingly and has never gotten in rhythm on the Colts’ offense. He’s been lost, and the Colts haven’t utilized his talent.
The former Miami Hurricane has recorded 22 catches, 236 receiving yards, and has yet to catch a touchdown pass.
Ogletree was a sixth-round pick in 2022, coming from Youngstown State University. He recorded 18 catches, 256 receiving yards, and three touchdowns.
The stats speak for themselves. It’s important to note, however, that the Colts haven’t had stable quarterback play since 2018.
The Indianapolis Colts have received lackluster production from the tight end position. General manager Chris Ballard needed to address the position, and got lucky with picking Warren.
Warren was highly regarded and discussed heavily leading up to the draft. Many draft experts and sports analysts believe he is the perfect fit in Indy. His versatility and route running should give the Colts a reliable target for the middle portion of the field.
He is also expected to be the star of the tight end room and provide stability. Something the Indianapolis Colts have lacked in the past.
While Warren is the apple of the eye in the tight end room, he will need to compete to earn a starting spot. Indianapolis doesn’t want to give up on Ogletree, Mallory, Woods, and Alie-Cox.
Indianapolis’s tight ends have NFL experience and will push Warren during training camp. The best man will get more snaps during the regular season.
Warren might be the main pass catcher at tight end. Coach Shane Steichen will use the others’ blocking skills to help Indy’s running game.
Playing tight end is challenging in the NFL. Tight ends must block, catch, and execute plays at a high level. I believe Warren has a lot to learn and will experience growing pains as a rookie.
Warren might not have the rookie season some fans expect because of a shaky quarterback situation. Anthony Richardson or Daniel Jones might not always find Warren and make him the focal point of the offense.
If you want other NFL content, check out this new article from Ethan Chuang.
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to our newsletter here. Check out Stadium Rant Original shows on our Youtube channel and subscribe! Give our socials Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok a follow for more great content!
