Tyler Warren Scouting Report
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Matthew O’Haren/IMAGN Images)
School: Penn State
Class: Senior
Position: TE
HT: 6’5
WT: 256 lbs
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Background: Tyler Warren has been an interesting and versatile athlete for his entire football career. He has played tight end, quarterback, and defense all at a high level. Originally from Mechanicsville, Virginia, Warren went to Atlee High School. Tyler was a 3-star athlete and top 20 player in the state of Virginia. Warren was an all-region selection three times and was an all-state selection twice, mainly as a quarterback. Warren committed to Penn State over Michigan and Virginia Tech.
College: Warren redshirted in 2020 and began to be sprinkled into the offense in 2021. Warren appeared in 13 games for the Nittany Lions in 2021 as a swiss army knife, scoring one receiving touchdown and two rushing touchdowns. In 2022, Warren started 3 games and appeared in 12. He caught 10 passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns. Warren earned Third Team All-Big 10 honors in 2023 after catching 34 receptions for 422 yards and 7 touchdowns. Warren shattered all expectations for him in 2024. He elevated the offense by shattering school records with 67 receptions for 808 yards and 1,233 yards. On top of his 8 receiving touchdowns, he also added 4 rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown. Warren was a consensus All-American and First Team All-Big 10 selection.
Strengths: Tyler Warren is an athletic and versatile tight end who was put everywhere on the field for Penn State. He has quarterback experience as well as running back experience. This background is shown in his game as he is very comfortable running the ball from the backfield. Warren is a strong and sturdy tight end; it is very hard to bring him down on initial contact. He runs with violence, inviting contact by lowering his shoulder and plowing through defenders. Warren is physically at the catch point, plucking the ball out of the air no matter how tight the coverage is. While Warren is a bulky tight end, he does not sacrifice finesse or technique for size. He is a technical route runner with a high football IQ to consistently find the open space in zone coverage. Warren can be used in the backfield in short yardage situations as a ball carrier to get the ball over the line. As a blocker, Warren plays at a good pad level and has a strong upper body to win 1-on-1 matchups at the line of scrimmage.
Weaknesses: While Tyler Warren can move well, he does not have elite speed to burn nickel defenders or the faster hybrid linebackers. He is slow off the line, having difficulty creating any separation against a jammer. As a blocker, Warren holds his own with strength and optimal pad level, he tends to lunge for the initial punch which puts him out of position.
Conclusion: Tyler Warren is a playmaker who can be used in any scenario. Whether he is on the line or in the slot, he can flip the game on its head in any given play. His size poses problems for cornerbacks while his athleticism poses problems for linebackers. His versatility will allow him to be on the field for most snaps in the NFL.
Scheme Fit: Scheme Versatile
Ideal Role: Starting TE
Best Team Fits: IND, NO, LAC
Player Comparison: Trey McBride
Player Grade: Round 1 (93.7)
