Hunter Wohler - Pro Football Rumors

Colts Sign TE Tyler Warren, Six Other Draft Picks

May 9th, 2025 at 11:16am CST by Adam La Rose

Seven of the Colts’ nine draft picks are on the books. First-round tight end Tyler Warren is among the draftees who are officially under contract, the team announced on Friday.

Warren’s four-year pact is worth $20.96MM, as noted by Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz. That figure is guaranteed in full and it includes an $11.88MM signing bonus. Like all Day 1 selections, Warren will be eligible to have his 2029 fifth-year option picked up.

The Penn State product entered the 2024 campaign ranked by many behind Colston Loveland as the top tight end in this year’s draft class. Warren made a strong push to change that perspective over the course of the campaign, though, finding success in a number of capacities on offense. During the pre-draft process, a number of evaluators saw him as TE1 as a result.

Just like Loveland, Warren was regularly connected to the Colts. Indianapolis has long struggled to find a productive contributor at the tight end position, and the No. 14 pick represented a prime opportunity to make an addition at that spot. Loveland came off the board 10th overall, but Warren was available when the Colts were on the clock. The team had the opportunity to trade down but chose to stay in place and add the Mackey Award winner. Warren will be counted on to contribute in the run and pass games right away, and if he develops as hoped he will serve a key role for years to come.

Indianapolis has also agreed to terms with cornerback Justin Walley (third round, Minnesota), offensive tackle Jalen Travis (fourth round, Iowa State), running back DJ Giddens (fifth round, Kansas State), quarterback Riley Leonard (sixth round, Notre Dame), defensive tackle Tim Smith (sixth round, Alabama) and safety Hunter Wohler (seventh round, Wisconsin). As a result, only second-round edge rusher J.T. Tuimoloau and sixth-round quarterback Graham Mertz remain unsigned.

Colts Notes: Warren, Leonard, Carlies, Wohler

April 30th, 2025 at 10:52pm CST by Nikhil Mehta

Colts general manager Chris Ballard has established an affinity for trading back in the draft, particularly in the second round.

He moved back in the second round in the last three drafts, adding extra picks to select Bernhard Raimann and Andrew Ogletree in 2022, Adetomiwa Adebawore in 2023, and Anthony Gould in 2024.

This year, however, the Colts declined multiple opportunities to trade back in the first two days of the draft, per Joel Erickson of The Indianapolis Star.

“We were really convicted about who was on the board at the time,” said Ballard, explaining that the team felt they’d be risking a significant drop in talent by moving back. The Colts were enamored with their targets across the first three rounds, selecting Penn State tight end Tyler Warren at No. 14, Ohio State defensive end JT Tuimuoloau at No. 45, and Minnesota cornerback Justin Walley at No. 80.

Indianapolis later traded their fourth-round pick, moving back 10 slots to pick up an extra sixth-rounder that was used on Alabama defensive tackle Tim Smith.

Warren was one of the least surprising picks in the first round after persistent links to the Colts since the start of the pre-draft process. The team’s lack of production from their tight ends over the last five years made it clear that they were looking to upgrade the position in the offseason, and Warren was an obvious fit after his stellar career in State College. He had private workouts scheduled with multiple teams before the draft, but the Colts were his only official top-30 visit, per ESPN’s Stephen Holder, a further indication of Indy’s interest.
Former Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard is staying in Indiana after being selected by the Colts in the sixth round (No. 189). Head coach Shane Steichen coveted Leonard for his size, leadership, and rushing ability, according to Nate Atkins of The Indianapolis Star. Those traits make him a solid fit in Steichen’s offense, which is most effective with a mobile quarterback.
Colts linebacker Jaylon Carlies is expected to be ready for training camp after undergoing shoulder surgery this offseason, according to Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. The 2024 fifth-rounder missed seven games with a leg injury as a rookie amid his transition from college safety to NFL linebacker.
Indianapolis is planning to convert another Day 3 safety into a linebacker in the pros with former Wisconsin Badger Hunter Wohler, according to Holder. The seventh-round pick (No. 232) played 50.7% of his snaps in the box or along the defensive line across his last two years in college, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), giving him a strong foundation for the positional change.
After releasing veteran kicker Matt Gay, the Colts are planning to bring in competition for Spencer Shrader, according to Erickson. Shrader replaced an injured Gay in Week 1 last year and later kicked for the Chiefs and the Jets before re-signing with the Colts during the offseason.