Abdul Carter has been stealing headlines at the top of the 2025 NFL Draft, but Penn State has another surefire first-round prospect who could be a transformational player in the league. Last season, Tyler Warren became the first tight end to finish in the top 10 of Heisman Trophy voting since 1977, and on Thursday night, when the first round of the draft commences in Green Bay, he’ll almost certainly be the first tight end selected.
Unlike Carter, who is almost certainly locked into the No. 3 overall pick with the New York Giants, barring any surprising draft-night trade, Warren has been mocked all over the NFL with his floor almost certainly sitting at No. 14 with the Indianapolis Colts. While Indy desperately needs a tight end for quarterback Anthony Richardson, Warren’s dream draft fit might be a few picks earlier with the Chicago Bears and Caleb Williams.
Tyler Warren is a perfect pairing with Caleb Williams on the Chicago Bears
Though he threw for over 3,500 yards, Williams struggled in Year 1 after becoming the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Chicago’s coaching staff was dysfunctional, which led to the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, but the bigger issue may have been along the offensive line.
Williams had problems with bailing out of clean pockets when he was at USC, even in his Heisman Trophy season, and those were exacerbated by Chicago’s struggles up front. However, under new head coach Ben Johnson, Chicago addressed the interior of the offensive line with trades for Joe Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs and Jonah Jackson from the LA Rams, so the Bears are ready to add an offensive playmaker for their young QB and offensive guru. Tyler Warren could be that player.
Warren is not a traditional tight end; there are concerns about his blocking coming out of Penn State, and with so many designed touches on screens and in the backfield, his translation to the league can be hard to project in many landing spots. In Chicago, though, with Johnson and tight end Cole Kmet, Warren would be free to use his physical advantages to dominate overmatch defenders.
Johnson is one of the most creative play-callers in the sport, even putting the ball in the hands of his right tackle, Penei Sewell, during his time as the offensive coordinator in Detroit, so he’ll have a myriad of ways to utilize Warren’s unique skillset. As he adjusted to an NFL route tree, Warren needs the ball in his hands on screens or even as a wildcat quarterback, which was so effective with the Nittany Lions. Johnson is one of the few coaches who’d be willing to do that.
Beyond it being the perfect fit for Warren, having a physical freak at tight end is exactly what Williams needs. Chicago would live in 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends), which would force defenses to bring big bodies onto the field to defend the run, more easily allow Williams to keep extra bodies in protection, and make play-action a weapon for the young QB.
Williams is a talented player with the arm to make every throw, but he needs to be put into a position to succeed. Finding ways to get the ball out of his hands quickly to a mismatch nightmare like Warren would help eliminate his bad habits in the pocket and get him into a rhythm early in games.
The Bears could consider running back Ashton Jeanty if he falls to No. 10 or even North Carolina running back Omarrion Hampton in the same spot. Even another offensive lineman is a viable option for Chicago, but there are plenty of talented running backs in this class, and there’s only one Tyler Warren.