NFL Draft
12/4/24
6 min read
Tyler Warren 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Penn State Nittany Lions TE
Height: 6060 (unofficial)
Weight: 260 (unofficial)
Year: Redshirt Senior
Pro Comparison: Dallas Goedert
Scouting Overview
Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren projects as a multi-faceted player at the NFL level. Warren has been given a slew of assignments with a wide variety of shifts and motions, making him an attractive option for teams seeing a formation adjustor within their offense structure (the Shanahan schemes).
Warren can release from the backfield, in-line, or from the slot and is functionally capable of handling first—or second-level defenders when his blocking posture is refined—although he needs more consistency in this area of his game.
Warren exploded as a pass-game threat with Penn State’s new offensive scheme in 2024, illustrating a massive catch radius, strong hands, and a surreal contested catch ability down the field. This is a potential impact player in the pros.
2025 NFL Combine Results
TBD
Positives
- Massive frame yields great results in 50/50 situations thanks to catch radius
- Surprisingly nimble and dynamic after the catch, earns added yardage by forcing missed tackles in space
- Functionally stout with a strong build that plays well on the edges of the core when sealing down or stepping up onto second-level defenders
Negatives
- Consistency of punch placement and sustainability of blocks on the edge needs added improvement
- Does not have ideal speed to bust defenses up the seam
- Route running yields separation with physicality at the top of the stem, but separation quickness is only sufficient
Background
Warren is from Mechanicsville, VA, and played high school football for Atlee HS. There, he starred as a multi-sport athlete, lettering in basketball (four times) and baseball (three times) in addition to being ranked as a 3-star recruit (247 Sports) in football.
He was named Atlee’s MVP during his high school career — posting more than 1,000 career passing yards and nearly 700 rushing yards, along with 24 total touchdowns as a senior. Warren was rated as a top-20 athlete recruit in Virginia before ultimately committing to Penn State as a member of the 2020 recruiting class.
Warren played in two games during the COVID-19 season in 2020, retaining his true freshman eligibility for the 2021 season. Warren logged three total touchdowns (2 rushing) in 13 games as a freshman in 2021, started three games in 2022 while playing in 12 contests, and assumed a starting role full-time in 2023. Warren was named Third-Team All-Big Ten in 2023 before exploding as a primary target for the Nittany Lions in his fifth and final season of eligibility in 2024. He finishes his Penn State career at No. 1 in career touchdowns by tight ends.
Tale Of The Tape
Warren is an impressive talent who, in some ways, expands beyond a traditional tight end role. Penn State has preserved some of the “athlete” elements of his game that go all the way back to high school, and teams that are looking for special packages or direct snap power run games may be tempted down the road to lean on these elements of Warren’s background.
However, his bread is buttered in the passing game as a pass catcher. Warren has tremendous hands. He’s imposing at the catch point and illustrates high-end ball skills to attack the football in the air and extend to greet the ball through contact. His concentration in these opportunities is outstanding, and he has a high hit rate on contested opportunities as a result.
He’s something of an accuracy eraser. Warren can reach back onto his back hip or go high on errant high throws in his general vicinity. The catch radius offers him the chance to become a quarterback’s best friend, particularly in pressure situations. He’s become as much for Drew Allar during the past two seasons.
Warren isn’t necessarily a big-time route runner who will cut up coverage defenders in man coverage. Still, he’ll bully you at the top of the route and create separation on hard-angled routes unless you’re playing him over the top in catch coverage with a heavy anchor. He has shown the ability to use savvy and bump defenders off his body.
Warren wins vertically down the sideline on go and fade routes while also showing the ability to find grass in the middle of the field on crossers. He has logged productive results in basic in and out routes off a short vertical stem, aided by Allar’s ability to push the ball to the perimeter. It is easy to appreciate how he ensures safe passage on these throws by extending to cut short the ball’s flight path.
Penn State has also manufactured touches for him both in the screen game and as a direct snap player to generate short-yardage push or single-back offensive looks.
As a blocker, Warren has ample potential. I have confidence in his pure strength, although its functional application is still hit or miss due to posture, punch placement, and center of gravity. Too often, he’ll come into blocks with high pads and hips, preventing him from applying force into contact and assuming control of the block. His hands lack the stickiness and grip strength necessary to sustain a high gravitational pull on the edge, and edge defenders can gear down his push and force hard corners to turn back into.
Warren shows good football IQ to handle a slew of shifts and motions into different release angles from the backfield or in the slot. He will need to continue developing a feel for his ability to line these blocks up at full speed.
Warren shows great balance in space, but his postural balance and center of gravity leaning into blocks can offer improvements by trusting his core power and lower half to do more of the work for him.
With the ball in his hands, Warren is creative, powerful, and has good vision. He anticipates open-field tackle challenges and can put some wiggle on or, alternatively, run a smaller defensive back over if they come passively into his track.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Tyler Warren projects as a starting ‘F’ tight end at the NFL level. He is at his best detached from the core and utilized as a blocker against safeties, linebackers, and corners. He’s a capable split-flow player and offers the necessary raw strength to play in line.
That said, his blocking posture, punch placement, and center of gravity need to show growth before he’s charged with playing as a ‘Y’ tight end with his hand in the dirt. In the meantime, Warren can thrive as an underneath zone buster and red zone target capable of creating added yardage with the ball in his hands. 12p and hybrid 21p teams will find his versatility overly attractive in their bid to generate mismatches on the field.
Grade: 80.00/100.00, Late First/Early Second Round Value
Big Board Rank: TBD
Position Rank: TBD
