Like every team, the Indianapolis Colts must address several positions in the 2025 NFL Draft. Perhaps cornerback and safety are the team’s biggest weaknesses, but you can’t overlook the tight end position.
Indianapolis currently has five tight ends on their roster. The group consists of Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Drew Ogletree, Will Mallory, and Jelani Woods. None of those guys are impact players. Woods has the potential to be a star, but he can’t stay healthy. He missed all of last season and hasn’t played a game this year either.
The Colts’ tight ends have combined for just 26 catches, 299 receiving yards, and two touchdowns this season. Mike Chappell of fox59.com wrote about Indy’s underachieving tight end room:
“As has been widely mentioned, the Colts’ 2018 tight end room combined for 108 catches, 1,216 yards and 21 receiving TDs. The current group is on pace for roughly 37 receptions. The last time tight ends combined for fewer than 50: 1997 (40).”
Needless to say, the position has been non-existent this year. That’s why the Colts must take a tight end in the 2025 draft. They need someone who’ll emerge as an offensive weapon and make life easier for quarterback Anthony Richardson. So who should the Colts draft?
The Indianapolis Colts Need to Address This Position in the 2025 NFL Draft
Tyler Warren
Some fans wanted the Colts to land tight end Brock Bowers in the first round of the 2024 draft. General manager Chris Ballard reportedly tried to trade up, but a deal never materialized. Bowers ended up going to the Las Vegas Raiders 13th overall while the Colts drafted defensive end Laiatu Latu 15th.
If the Colts want a tight end in the first round of the 2025 draft, Tyler Warren could be their guy. The Penn State star has caught 75 passes for 910 yards and five touchdowns this season. He had a monster 224-yard effort against USC and has reached the 100-yard receiving mark in his past two games.
The 6’6, 257-pound Warren has been a huge part of the Nittany Lions’ offense this year. Not only is he a pass-catcher, he has impressively rushed for 157 yards and four touchdowns as well.
Mason Taylor
If Indy doesn’t take Warren, they could land someone like Mason Taylor in the third round. The LSU tight end has NFL blood in him. Both his father (Jason Taylor) and uncle (Zach Thomas) are Hall of Famers, who were ironically teammates on the Miami Dolphins.
Mason Taylor is having a great 2024 campaign with the Tigers. He has recorded 52 receptions, 518 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. At 6’5 and 255 lbs, Taylor has the ideal size that the Colts front office would look for. Earlier this year, he became the first tight end in LSU history to surpass the 1,000-yard receiving mark in his career.
Taylor has a knack for making plays in the short, intermediate, and deep portions of the field in the passing game. Last season, he helped current Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels win the Heisman Trophy. And if he winds up in Indianapolis, he could certainly help Anthony Richardson and the Colts’ struggling offense.
Main Image: Christine Tannous/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images
