Tyler Warren didn’t need much time to show the Colts they hit big with the 14th overall pick in the 2025 Draft. He arrived in Indianapolis with the kind of hype that comes with an elite tight end prospect, and he backed it up right away.
In his rookie season, Warren put together a strong first-year line: 76 catches, 817 yards and four touchdowns through the air, plus another score on the ground. That kind of production was enough to make him look like one of the better tight ends in the league and one of the top young players in football.
So it raised some eyebrows when CBS Sports left him off its Top 25 players who are 25 and under. Warren is only 24, which made him eligible, but he ended up in the “toughest cuts” section instead.
What made the omission sting a little more for Colts fans was seeing Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland land at No. 25.
Chicago took Loveland 10th overall, four spots ahead of Warren, and he had a solid rookie year of his own. But on production alone, Warren had the stronger season.
Warren played 17 games and finished with 76 receptions for 817 yards and four touchdowns, along with a rushing score. Loveland appeared in 16 games and totaled 58 catches for 713 yards and six touchdowns. Both are clearly talented and in the same conversation, but CBS’ Tyler Sullivan gave Loveland the nod despite the lower output.
The likeliest explanation is the playoff boost. The Bears made a run that carried into the postseason, and Loveland had some notable moments along the way. Still, that’s a team accomplishment, and there’s even an argument that it shouldn’t carry him over Warren.
The situations weren’t the same, either. Loveland spent the year catching passes from Caleb Williams in a strong setting, while Warren had to deal with three different quarterbacks, including off-the-couch Philip Rivers, and still kept producing as things unraveled around him in Indianapolis.
On balance, Warren has the stronger case to be ranked ahead of Loveland. The two tight ends will keep sorting that out on the field for years to come.
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