Standout rookie campaigns from Brock Bowers and Sam LaPorta suggest the TE learning curve in the NFL may be accelerating. While not quite on Bowers' level as a prospect, Warren heads to the league backed by similar draft capital (14th overall) after catching 104 passes for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns as a senior at Penn State. He was somewhat of a late bloomer, however, posting a 34-422-7 receiving line as a 21-year-old junior in 2023 after catching only 15 passes total in two prior seasons (while competing for snaps with future NFL draft picks Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson). Warren didn't go through pre-draft testing, but film shows that he moves well for someone whose measurements (6-foot-5 and 1/2, 256 pounds) are reminiscent of a blocking specialist more so than a receiving threat. The Nittany Lions even gave him trick plays and direct snaps last season, with 26 carries yielding 218 yards and four TDs. Warren thus profiles as a major after-the-catch threat, in addition to using his huge frame to threaten defenses down the seams and in the end zone. His short-term outlook is somewhat less promising in Indianapolis, where Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones are competing for the starting QB job in an offense that has two WRs, Michael Pittman and Josh Downs, capable of handling considerable target volume.
