Whether it be coaches, teammates, or really anyone, everyone came away impressed with the play of Indianapolis Colts' rookie tight end Tyler Warren in his regular-season debut.
This includes safety Cam Bynum, who discussed Warren's play on a recent appearance on the 'Up & Adams Show' with Kay Adams.
"Well, first to describe him," Bynum said of Warren, "if I didn't know he was a rookie, I'd have no clue. Like the way that he carries himself. The way that he came in and knew the offense right away, I've never seen a "rookie mistake" out of him, where he's jumping offsides or running the wrong route.
"Like everything from Day 1 when he got here seemed like, just from the outside looking in, competing against him, seemed like he'd been in the system for a while. Seemed like he played the NFL style of football for a while and that's the craziest thing to me."
Since arriving in Indianapolis after this past April's draft, it became clear very early on that Warren was going to play an important role and make a quick impact.
Throughout offseason programs and into training camp, Warren was a steady presence in the passing game, whether it was Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson at quarterback. His reliable hands and combination of size, athleticism, and physicality make him a very difficult matchup, particularly over the middle of the field.
In Sunday's win over Miami, Warren led the Colts in targets with nine and receptions with seven. He had the second-most receiving yards on the team with 76, including a long of 21 yards.
However, Warren's impact went beyond the passing game. We saw his versatility on display, which included motioning into the backfield and getting the ball as a ball carrier.
In the run game, he received the second-highest run-blocking grade from PFF out of all tight ends who had at least six run-blocking snaps in Week 1.
"When he got in the game," Bynum continued, "he was operating like a veteran. Blocking well. Doing well in the run game, but then that also opens up the pass game for him. And the way he started off the game, he had a few catches in the first series, and I'm like, okay, he's about to have this type of season.
"So seeing that, it was no surprise because he's been like that in practice, but for him to do it in a game, be consistent, and one of those guys that's looking for contact once he has the ball. He's not just running out of bounds; he's trying to run through a DB. I'm like, I love to see that when it's on my team."
Warren's presence in the Colts' offense goes well past his own column in the stat sheet. His do-it-all skill set further expands the playbook for Shane Steichen and that then not only creates opportunities for Warren to exploit, but his teammates as well.
