Colts tight finish Tyler Warren to comply with in Dallas Clark’s footsteps

The expectations surrounding rookie tight finish Tyler Warren will doubtless be unfair, although they concurrently showcase how excessive of a flooring he presents on the subsequent stage.

As most perceive at this level, Warren’s expertise is the right addition to this present Colts offense, however the uncertainty that’s Indy’s quarterback room stays the underlying ‘what-if’ situation that might very properly make or break the Colts’ season, and in flip, the passcatchers’ manufacturing.

With regards to tight finish manufacturing within the passing sport, notably for rookies, the bar set is low, although it has risen in recent times. Usually, a rookie tight finish hauling in an approximate 500 yards and 5 touchdowns could be an all-timer. Since 2021, nonetheless, there was an uptick in manufacturing from rookie tight ends.

Previous to Kyle Pitts’ spectacular rookie marketing campaign that noticed the league’s second such season of a rookie tight finish totaling 1,000 receiving yards (that’s till Brock Bowers this previous yr), there have been simply seven situations of a rookie tight finish surpassing 650 receiving yards. Quick ahead 4 NFL seasons and there are actually eleven such situations because of Kyle Pitts, Sam LaPorta, Dalton Kincaid, and Brock Bowers.

Regardless of this current uptick in rookie tight finish manufacturing, expectations for Tyler Warren needs to be tempered. It’s truthful to say that the aforementioned output of ~500 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns stays the aim, however Warren, as a prospect, presents extra of a day-one flooring as a blocker, at the least from a willingness standpoint, than any of the current 4 names who’ve gone on to rewrite historical past books as rookie passcatchers.

With that in thoughts, even a season that leads to 400 receiving yards and 3-4 touchdowns could be a profitable rookie marketing campaign for Tyler Warren. Because of the truth that Warren will likely be utilized in a number of aspects of the offense — as a passcatcher, blocker, rusher, and so on. — one of these output could be proof that not all manufacturing seems to be the identical.

So far as breaking the mould goes, Warren turned the second tight finish within the historical past of the Indianapolis Colts to be drafted within the first spherical. Second to solely Dallas Clark, in fact. The similarities between him and Clark go previous the draft, nonetheless.

Not solely have been Warren and Clark representatives of the ‘44’ jersey quantity, however each share strikingly comparable measurables and play with a way of pleasure and willpower that mirror their soccer psyches. As passcatchers, each Warren and Clark’s calling playing cards have been/are their skill to make defenders miss after the catch, in addition to their reliability as contested catchers.

Who higher to name (FaceTime) the current Colts’ first-rounder than the Ring of Honor member himself?

Tyler Warren is conscious of Clark’s greatness and famous that he remembers listening to his title usually as a child. He confirmed appreciation to the Colts nice for his assist and was honored to be named in the identical breath as Clark.

Throughout a post-draft interview with Colts.com’s Larra Overton, Warren expressed his gratitude towards Clark:

“I feel it’s actually cool to have that commonplace right here on the tight finish place and to have a man like that supporting me like that. That’s simply superior, proper? Dallas Clark rising up, I bear in mind listening to his title and the quantity. That’s type of what it’s all about — being a Colt and taking part in tight finish — in order that’s superior.”

The instant assist from a former Colts legend to hopefully a future one is just not solely evident however promising. When requested of his preliminary ideas on the Colts’ resolution to, for the second time in franchise historical past, spend a first-round decide on a decent finish, Clark responded, “BALLER! I find it irresistible. If I may help him out in any approach, I received him.”

Once you dive a bit deeper into why Tyler Warren presents an identical mindset that Dallas Clark displayed all through all the years repping the Colts’ horseshoe. Former Colts heart and interim HC Jeff Saturday had shared that Clark turned part of the offensive line on account of his willingness as a blocker. Saturday defined, “He received adopted by the offensive line… he doesn’t have an ego.”

Whether or not it’s former coaches that he performed with or towards, NFL scouts or decision-makers, or Tyler Warren himself, that actual mindset radiates from the Colts’ latest tight finish.

Statistical manufacturing is a non-issue to Tyler Warren, which is the picture-perfect reply that you really want out of a decent finish who’s envisioned as the subsequent every-down starter. When requested why he approaches the sport the best way he does, Warren stated:

“I feel it begins with understanding how soccer works. I can’t do something on my own on this area, there are ten different guys on the sector for a motive. You’ll be able to’t do something that’s gonna enable you with out somebody subsequent to you and the opposite guys round you. That’s what I actually love concerning the sport and the way I attempt to strategy it. It has nothing to do with me, I’m simply part of a unit and part of a workforce and we’ve received one aim which is to win video games.”

No matter how the season shakes out for the Indianapolis Colts, the floor means that they’ve struck gold with the draft class’s consensus high tight finish who ought to make a mark for years to return. For one of many grittiest positions that the game has to supply, Tyler Warren tasks as one of many subsequent finest.