Penn State tight end Tyler Warren is viewed by many NFL Draft analysts as one of the five best pure football players in the 2025 draft class. However, with tight ends lacking the kind of positional value reserved for high-first-round picks, there’s a chance he could slide toward the back half of the top 10 picks.
The Chicago Bears, who currently hold the 10th overall selection, have been loosely connected to Warren as a potential first-round match because of the incredible work GM Ryan Poles has done this offseason to rebuild the roster.
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The Bears are one of the few teams in the top 10 that can virtually choose any player from any position. There isn’t one overwhelming need that must be addressed in the first round, making a tight end like Warren a realistic option in Round 1.
Penn State held its 2025 NFL Draft pro day this week, and Warren, along with teammate Abdul Carter, were the big draws. Warren didn’t participate in on-field drills and instead decided to rest on his NFL Scouting Combine numbers, but a report by longtime NFL Draft insider Tony Pauline suggests Warren will eventually work out for a select group of teams.
The Chicago Bears are one of them.
“I was told the tight end is focusing on a handful of teams and will showcase his talents for them before the draft,” Pauline wrote. “The New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and Indianapolis Colts were three of the teams named. Since then, I’ve been told the New Orleans Saints and both Los Angeles teams have seemingly joined the mix.”
Tyler Warren enjoyed a monster season in 2024, finishing with a career-high 104 catches for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns. It was a stat line that absolutely shattered his previous highs of 34 catches and 422 yards.
He caught the ball 17 times. He ran the ball. He threw the ball. He snapped the ball. Tyler Warren was sensational for @PennStateFball vs. USC. pic.twitter.com/5bTv4SKaUK
There haven’t been any concerns about Warren being a one-year wonder (remember Kevin White?), but I still find it hard to believe that Poles would use such a valuable draft asset on a tight end when he just invested a hefty contract into Cole Kmet, who turned 26 this month.
Kmet was on the launching pad for a breakout season last year before Shane Waldron took over as offensive coordinator. We know how that ended. Kmet shouldn’t be blamed for his statistical regression. Instead, the Bears should look back on the 2023 season as indicative of Kmet’s upside under new head coach Ben Johnson.
Would adding Tyler Warren to a Chicago Bears offense that already features DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Kmet be a bad thing? Obviously not; the more weapons Poles can surround Caleb Williams with, the better.
But I have a sneaky suspicion that the Bears will stay focused on the offensive line in the first round, even if Warren slides to their pick. The only prospect who could push Poles away from the trenches might be Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, not Warren.
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Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle’s Mock Draft competition. Bryan’s past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks.
