NFL Draft 2025: Penn State Tight End Tyler Warren a Perfect 10 For Chicago Bears?
In a packed Los Angeles Coliseum last October, Penn State tight end Tyler Warren put the NFL on notice with his record-setting 17-catch performance, torching USC for 224 yards while rewriting the NCAA record books.
Warren‘s epic performance also included him snapping the ball and catching a touchdown on the same play which pretty much showcased his dynamic versatility, speed and game-changing ability in one :08 second moment in time.
Now, with the NFL Draft around just three days away, Warren to go No.10 overall to the Chicago Bears, would possibly be the most seamless fit in this week’s NFL draft, should it play out as NFL Senior writer Matt Lombardo from Between The Hashmarks projects that it will in his final mock draft.
“The Chicago Bears fortifying the offensive line in free agency,” Lombardo writes for Between The Hashmarks. “By acquiring Jonah Jackson and All-Pro Joe Thuney via trades sets the stage for general manager Ryan Poles to deliver a potentially game-altering weapon for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. Enter tight end, chameleon Tyler Warren.
“Warren’s 19 forced missed tackles were second among tight ends in 2024, and only two players at the position pulled down more than his 13 contested catches. A playmaker at tight end, from the slot, or out of the backfield, Warren could become Williams’ ideal red-zone weapon as well as his security blanket. Ben Johnson turned Sam LaPorta into one of the premier players at the position across the league, and Warren might have even more upside.”
As Lombardo points out, the Bears have thrown some serious money this off-season at their offensive line to bolster second-year quarterback Caleb Williams’ security detail, making major moves on the offensive line by adding Pro Bowlers Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney to fortify the trenches.
With an upgraded protection unit in place the next logical move would be weaponizing his receiving corps. He already has a very capable perimeter with D.J Moore and Rome Odunze. That’s where Warren comes in.
Standing 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, Warren is far from just a traditional tight end. He’s an experienced chameleon on the field, a human GPS, capable of lining up in a variety of locations, tight, outside, in the slot, or even in the backfield.
Warren posted 153 receptions, 1,839 yards, and 25 total touchdowns (19 receiving, 6 rushing) in his Happy Valley career, with five 100-yard games in a jaw-dropping highlight reel that has NFL teams salivating for his signature.
A Perfect Safety Blanket for Caleb Williams
It’s not hard to see why Caleb Williams would be licking his chops at the prospect of adding Warren to his huddle.
The former Nittany Lions legend is perfect for young quarterbacks, who often rely on a dependable tight end as a safety blanket, and Warren, who has a knack for finding soft spots in zone coverage and boasts a high football IQ, fortified from his days as a high school quarterback, make him adept at presenting his numbers to the QB when a play breaks down.
At Penn State, Warren caught a pass in 32 consecutive games to end his career, a testament to his consistency and chemistry with his quarterbacks. For a playmaker like Williams, who is at his best when improvising and extending plays, a big target like Warren working the scramble drill could become his best friend on third downs, quick seam routes, play-action rollouts, or broken-play sandlot tosses.
Williams’ arm talent and willingness to push the ball downfield pair perfectly with Warren’s large catch radius and contested-catch prowess, especially in the red zone, Some scouts compare his elite jump-ball ability to be a potential weapon that the Bears haven’t truly seen since the days of Martellus Bennett or even Jimmy Graham at the tail end of his career. Between the 20’s it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to visualize and compare Warren moving the chains with the alacrity and consistency of a Greg Olsen when he once donned the navy and orange jersey.
Tyler Warren: Perfect for Ben Johnson’s Magic Show
At Penn State, offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki used Warren as the centerpiece for his innovative gadgetry – in motion, under center, on the ball and out wide, His football IQ and willingness to do whatever was needed made him a key part of a dynamic Penn State offense.
His background makes Warren just what the head coach ordered as newly hired Ben Johnson will undoubtedly try to incorporate the same creativity and aggressiveness that made his former team, the Detroit Lions so explosive.
Johnson never met a trick play he wasn’t afraid to dial up in order to invent new ways to get his playmakers the ball and Warren is the perfect complementary piece for the head man’s vision.
It’s not a coincidence that the Bears’ new coach is eyeing an elite tight end prospect.
Johnson has a track record of maximizing tight end talent, dating back to his time as the Lions’ offensive coordinator. In Detroit, Johnson was integral in developing young tight ends as he served as the Lions’ tight ends coach in 2020-21, helping shape T.J. Hockenson into a Pro Bowler, while also playing a pivotal role in drafting and grooming Sam LaPorta, who quickly became an All-Pro caliber player under Johnson’s tutelage.
LaPorta had a record-breaking rookie season in 2023, shattering the NFL rookie record for tight ends with 86 catches for 886 yards and 10 touchdowns while being named a second-team All-Pro and a first-time Pro Bowler.
That kind of immediate impact is almost unheard of at the tight end position, yet Johnson’s creative play designs and willingness to feature the position made it possible.
Warren is a complementary piece who has the potential to be a centerpiece in a young Bears’ offense and someone who can help Williams stay upright, confident, and in rhythm.
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It was at PRISM where Staszak produced live games and began his career as an on-air reporter.
After a couple of brief stints with CBS-3, WB-17 and WGAL-8 in Lancaster, PA, Staszak began a 12 year stretch at FOX 29 where he became the lead sportscaster in 2007. It was there that Staszak found himself in the middle of Philadelphia Phillies World Series Championship coverage that earned him an Emmy nomination for best sports reporter in 2008.It was one of five Emmy nominations that Staszak earned over the course of his career.
All told Staszak covered three World Series, two Stanley Cup Finals, an NBA Finals and one Super Bowl during his television run.
Staszak left the TV business for 97.5 The Fanatic in 2013, where he enjoyed eight years bloviating his beliefs on how a professional football team should be run.In 2018 when he fortunate enough to be the first sports talk host in the city, along with cohort Zach Gelb, to provide post-game coverage of the first Super Bowl Championship for the city’s beloved Philadelphia Eagles.
Staszak was also a writer for 97.5 The Fanatic along with 4 Philly Sports and now covers Penn State athletics for NittanyCentral.com.