Tyler Warren is Travis Kelce 2.0

Comparing Penn State tight end Tyler Warren to future Hall of Fame Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce is a mouthful, but I am bold enough to make this comp. Well, sort of.

Warren is the 2025 model.

This season, the Penn State tight end made one of the biggest one-year jumps I’ve seen. I had a fourth-round grade on Warren’s 2023 season (34 catches) and that was the highest documented grade in draft media.

Then 2024 happened and he EXPLODED on film.

Warren was lining up EVERYWHERE pre-snap; out wide, in the slot, runningback, fullback, H-back, and even as a left-handed quarterback ⎯and It wasn’t a gimmick either. Warren threw for 3,654 yards in high school. On one play, Penn State lined him up in a special formation and he snapped the ball (like a center) before running down the field and catching a touchdown pass against USC! Cutting-edge stuff.

All of this makes Warren “Kelce 2.0.” Well, that, and his infectious fun personality.

Selflessness

THIS IS HIS ABSOLUTE BEST TRAIT.

No matter what Warren was asked to do, he gave the same effort level play-in and play-out, game in and game out. Run, pass, catch, block, or punt, he’s the same guy. His blocking is worth the price of admission and did I say punt? Yes, Warren punted once against Minnesota.

He also helps to clear out areas for teammates to catch passes by running decoy routes.

Excels at moving the offense down the field

• Good at selling blocks before leaking into routes against unsuspecting defenses
• Crafty route running (knows how to get open)
• Excellent at achieving route leverage
• Deceptive speed (sets up defenders by going slower then faster)
• Dependable hands (104 catches on (135 targets 77% catch rate) for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns
• Big-time YAC (yardage after the catch)

Any negatives?

Former 49ers’ Scouting Director Tony Razzano said there are no 10s in his book, Secrets of an NFL Scout, the book I learned how to scout with back when I was 17 years old.

Well…Warren is a nine.

He doesn’t have any GLARING WEAKNESSES, but I noticed a couple of subtle things that were a tendency and a pattern:

• Average catch radius (on passes that were too low or passes that were thrown off-target)
• The defense’s only chance at forcing incompletions is to get more physical than he is when he runs his routes or specifically at the catch point (See Boise State game).

Neither was that big of a deal because of his size.

Where would Warren fit in the NFL?

This throwback could’ve played in any era, he’s a true football player. He is also cutting-edge and represents where the NFL is headed.

He would do wonders for any team with a pinpoint accurate quarterback.

#44 Tyler Warren 6-foot-6, 257 pounds

Daniel Kelly’s 2025 Final NFL Draft Grade: First-Round (I would select him)

Projected by 45.9% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of February 1, 2025 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

Penn State Tight End Tyler Warren Has More to Prove (2023: 13 games evaluated)

2024 game film evaluated: West Virginia, Bowling Green, Kent State, Illinois, UCLA, USC, Ohio State, Purdue, Minnesota, Maryland, Oregon, SMU, Boise State, and Notre Dame (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

Note: First tight since 1977 end to finish top-10 in Heisman voting

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Complete tight end with long arms. Aggressive nature. Unassuming. Plays like he loves the game. Lots of pre-snap motion. Capable of acceleration before and after catches. Good straight-line speed up the seams. Glides into routes. Smooth looking. Excels in the short-to-intermediate route level (0-19 yards). Instinctual. Decimates zone coverage. Reliable safety valve. Plucks the ball out of the air away from his body. Achieves route leverage with eye manipulation, physicality, and moves he puts on in coverage. Whips quickly at breakpoints to create separation. Does a nice job of flattening out routes and then using his body as a shield to box out defenders and make the grab. Focused in traffic. Average vertical. Consistent and tenacious blocker.

Final words

I’ve never seen a prospect like Warren.

Daniel Kelly is a former NFL Scout with the New York Jets. He was hired on the regime which featured Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum, and Dick Haley. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief for First Round Mock, and has written for Sports Illustrated (Lions, Jets, and 49ers), NFL Draft Diamonds, and Yardbarker, as well as a featured guest on ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio. For more information about him visit his website at whateverittakesbook.com. Follow on Twitter @firstroundmock.