Vitals

High-end NFL Player Comp(s): Less athletic George Kittle with shades of Rob Gronkowski in his game

Low-end NFL Player Comp(s): Hunter Henry

Best Scheme Fit: Universal.

Best Team Fit(s): Jets, Chargers, Colts, Bears, Broncos, Panthers

Non-bolded times - Good examples of attribute
Bolded times - Average/poor examples of attribute

* - How well does his skill set carry over to the fantasy game? For receivers, a player needs to be a realistic threat for 70 catches and 1,000 receiving yards at some point early in their career to be a candidate for a perfect grade. Positional scarcity at the pro level is also a part of the equation.

Positives

• Prototypical build for a three-down tight end; plays a bit like the player he models his game after (Kittle).
  
  
• Highly competitive and embraces contact; he has some make-you-miss in his game but would rather run through contact than avoid it.
  
  
• Consummate team player who exudes confidence.
  
  
• Among tight ends with at least 70 targets in 2024, he ranked second among tight ends in FBS with a 2.8-percent drop rate (three drops on 135 targets).
  
  
• Very adept at playing the ball in the air and winning in contested-catch situations (13-for-21 as a senior).
  
  
• Something of a jack-of-all-trades; offers a viable threat as a runner or trick-play passer out of the Wildcat formation (averaged 8.4 yards per attempt and scored four touchdowns on 26 carries in 2024); took snaps as a quarterback and running back and also lined up all across the formation (47.3 percent slot, 33.1 percent inline and 14 percent outside).

Negatives

• Takes a few steps to hit top speed, so he is not much of a vertical threat (5.9 percent deep target rate over the last two seasons, while 64 percent of his targets came within nine yards).
  
  
• Stands too high pre-snap, which could cause him trouble against NFL linebackers or safeties capable of matching his athleticism.
  
  
• Understands what to do when he gets a step on his defender but lacks the explosiveness to create separation consistently.
  
  
• Occasionally ran a lackadaisical or nonchalant route, which is almost unthinkable for a player who amassed a 32-percent target share in 2024 and was often the Nittany Lions' first read in the passing game.
  
  
• Has the power and desire to be a very good blocker but will play too high at times; he also needs to continue working on his footwork and hand positioning to be great.

Bottom Line

The college game has long been guilty of misusing and underutilizing tight ends for decades. That was certainly not the case at Penn State last season, as the Nittany Lions targeted him on 32 percent of their pass plays and enabled him to become one of only a handful of tight ends in college football history to post a 100-catch season. His usage was not limited to the passing game, however. He threw six passes, ran 26 times and occasionally served as the primary option in short-yardage situations. He also lined up in-line, in the slot and out wide. As much as a tight end can be an offensive weapon, he was that for Penn State in 2024.

Warren models his game after George Kittle and it shows. He accelerated into contact multiple times, which tends to energize a team when your guy wins that battle. To that end, his 6.7 yards after contact per reception ranked third in the country among tight ends with at least 70 targets last year. After struggling with drops as a sophomore and junior (15-plus percent in both seasons), he lowered his drop rate to 2.8 on 135 targets as a senior. Whatever he may lack in terms of explosiveness, he makes up for it with his huge frame, ball skills and body control. While he may not be an elite blocker yet, he is probably the most likely tight end prospect - at least of the ones expected to go in the first two rounds - to become one.

There is relatively little to dislike about his game, but one area where he is lacking is explosiveness. If and when he creates separation, it will likely be a result of him being physical. While he can stretch the seam on occasion, it is unlikely to happen very often because he beat the linebacker or safety in a footrace. As a result, Warren will most likely do most of his damage in the NFL in the short and intermediate areas. He also tends to play too high coming off the line of scrimmage as a receiver or blocker. NFL teams (or fantasy managers, for that matter) who are looking for the next Brock Bowers are not going to find him in Warren, but what they should find is a player who should be a very good secondary option in the passing game and a red-zone standout.


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