Colts start their NFL draft by adding dynamic tight end, close it by getting more offensive help

By Canadian Press on April 26, 2025.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard opened their NFL draft by taking the playmaking tight end they desperately needed.

He closed it by following the script — heavy on offense, plugging holes on defense.

Ballard found a versatile, over-the-middle pass catcher for whichever player wins the starting quarterback competition between Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones, a running back to reduce the workload of Jonathan Taylor, depth on the offensive line and, yes, even a developmental quarterback.

“They’re all productive, all really mature players and men with an element of toughness and maturity that we wanted to add,” Ballard said.

While former Notre Dame star Riley Leonard ignited some Day 3 talk, it was first-round pick Tyler Warren of Penn State, who really excited fans. He was chosen No. 14 overall.

The selection ends a four-year search that started when two-time Pro Bowler Jack Doyle retired after the 2021 season and concluded with the Colts posting the lowest reception total from tight ends in the league last season.

What they’re getting in Warren is someone who has demonstrated he’s a dependable receiver, a strong runner after the catch, capable of converting third downs under center and even throwing a pass or two.

Warren’s presence should allow coach Shane Steichen plenty to get creative with his newest playmaker in the tight end room as he’s done at previous stops.

“He’s a guy who can do it all. He can catch, he can run, he can throw, we might play him on defense,” Steichen joked. “When I was in San Diego, we had the (Antonio) Gates rule. If you’ve him on one-on-one throw him the ball.”

Saturday’s picks will have roles, too.

Ballard took running back D.J. Giddens of Kansas State in the fifth round, No. 151 overall, after he rushed for more than 3,000 yards and catching 58 passes in three college seasons. Indy needed a better No. 2 back for Taylor, who had 303 carries in 14 games last season, and at 6-2, 212 pounds, Giddens looks as if he’ll be a good fit.

Leonard isn’t likely to be in the mix to start next season, but he could fill the No. 3 spot. He’s a strong runner, like Richardson, and has been working on his accuracy throughout the draft process.

Now all Steichen has to do is piece it together and make it work.

“I think the biggest thing when I watched his tape was the toughness he plays with, it’s undeniable,” Steichen said of Warren. “No doubt you can put a lot on his plate, put him in different roles. Throughout the offseason, throughout training camp we’ll be looking to do different things with them.”

Indy also selected defensive end JT Tuimoloau of Ohio State in Round 2 and defensive tackle Tim Smith of Alabama in Round 6 before finishing the weekend by selecting Hunter Wohler in the seventh round. Wohler played safety at Wisconsin but the Colts project him as a linebacker.

Well connected

Indy used its fourth-round pick on Jalen Travis, a 6-foot-8, 339-pound offensive tackle who played at Iowa State and Princeton and has quite the list of athletic connections.

His cousin, Ross, spent three of his seven NFL seasons with Indy. One brother, Reid, played basketball at Stanford and Kentucky while another, Jonah, played basketball at Harvard. One sister, Grace, is a beach volleyball player at Saint Mary’s and another sister, Olivia, is an assistant coach for Western Illinois’ women’s basketball team.

He also was AAU teammates with two NBA players — Oklahoma City center Chet Holmgren and Orlando guard Jalen Suggs. And the brother of Colts receiver Alec Pierce, Caden, played on Princeton’s Sweet 16 basketball team in 2023.

Surprise

The Colts used free agency to upgrade a struggling secondary with cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Corey Ballentine and safety Camryn Bynum. Those moves should help. But it was the choice of cornerback Justin Walley in the third round that drew criticism.

Some analysts had him rated as a sixth-rounder. Ballard saw something else.

“He is really good,” Ballard said Friday night. “Let me tell you this, he’s got a (broken) wrist. In a time when people don’t want to work out — we have guys ducking it — he does everything and runs 4.37 (in the 40-yard dash) with a cast on his wrist.”

Paying tribute

The Colts also paid tribute to Coral Cressman Terpening on Saturday by wearing light orange T-shirts with the message “Your light lives on in all of us, CCT.” The wife of Colts director of college scouting Matt Terpening died April 12 while attending a volleyball tournament with her two daughters in Louisville. She was 45 years old.

The two daughters were in the draft room Saturday and teams around the league also participated in the tribute. Ballard nearly broke down at his post-draft news conference while thanking the broadcast networks and teams for participating.

What’s next?

Ballard acknowledged there’s still work to do this offseason.

The most glaring hole remains at linebacker where the Colts didn’t really like their options this weekend, but they may not be as short-handed as it appears in the scheme of new defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

Indy also could be looking for help along the offensive and defensive lines and possibly another receiver.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Michael Marot, The Associated Press

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