Penn State Tyler Warren Praises Giants TE Theo Johnson

When Penn State University tight end Tyler Warren stepped up to the podium at the NFL Combine, he certainly didn’t pound his chest for being the next player in his position to make a run at the pros from the distinguished football school.

If anything, recruiting and developing NFL-caliber talent at the tight end position is, as Warren put it, “something they’ve always done.” In the last two offseasons, the league was reminded of that with the selections of Brenton Strange to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third round of 2023 and Theo Johnson, who went in the fourth round to the New York Giants in last April's draft.

As Warren gets set to become the next among Penn State’s lineage to reach for the stars and potentially become a first-round selection, he instead approached the moment with immense humility as he looked back on the journey that brought him from Happy Valley to speaking in front of 32 teams in Indianapolis.

It forged big aspirations at a young age, but he also dealt with its fair share of obstacles. Warren joined the Nittany Lions as an undersized redshirt freshman in 2019, and he had room to grow before he could make an impact on the field for his team.

Getting bigger and mastering his craft took five long seasons, each seeing his numbers on the gridiron ascend higher than the year before. Still, about midway through, he discovered the secret to being an elite tight end at the highest level and continued pursuing his role as scouts started watching.

“When I first started playing football, [playing in the NFL] was something I wanted to do, obviously what my goal was. Getting to college, I wasn't too sure about my first year. I had a little bit of growth to do from the physical aspect of it,” Warren told reporters.

“By the middle of college, when the coaches sat me down and said I would have an opportunity, what that would look like, I still had a few more years. I kind of realized I might have a chance to extend my career and have the opportunity to play in the NFL.

“What I tried to do was be a guy who could kind of fit in a lot of different roles. I don't know if I have one that sticks out the best. That's kind of fun about the tight end position as you get to do a lot of different things within the offense.”

Penn State tight ends Theo Johnson and Tyler Warren — Penn State co-offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Ty Howle (center) puts his arms around tight ends Tyler Warren (44) and Theo Johnson (84) following a 31-0 White Out win against Iowa Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in State College, Pa. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

Working to become a more impactful and versatile receiving weapon in the Penn State offense was the biggest element that helped take him off the sidelines and put him under the spotlight. Warren started his true freshman season buried in the depth chart with just five catches for 61 yards.

He would double his production in the next four seasons as talent started matriculating into the professional ranks. The senior from Mechanicsville, Virginia, would add two more touchdowns to his sophomore stats before rising to 422 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior and eclipsing 1,200 yards and eight scores that finished seventh best in the country.

As he got bigger physically, Warren’s skillset transcended into different areas of the field beyond his strong pass-blocking abilities. The Penn State offense had him attacking defenses from all three levels of the field, including the deep field, where he went 10/15 on contested catches and forced almost 600 yards after the catch and 15 missed tackles.

Not only did he strive to produce the numbers that would land him in the NFL someday, but he also wanted his athleticism to mirror the great players who went onto the big leagues before him. While he admires future Hall of Famers like Travis Kelce and George Kittle, he had the perfect mentor and inspiration standing right in front of him for three of his collegiate seasons.

That influence, who would play a critical role in his development, would be none other than the Giants rookie tight end in Johnson, who has stayed in touch with Warren throughout his pre-draft process.

“When I got to Penn State, I wasn't a fully developed tight end yet. I had to wait my turn and learn from the guys in front of me, understanding I was not at the point I needed to be to play and contribute and trust the process,” Warren said.

“Everybody looks different. Mine took a few years until I got into the flow of college football. But Theo came in when he was playing his freshman year, and we had a great relationship. All around college, you're going to see guys play right away, and it will take a few years before they get rolling.”

New York Giants tight end Theo Johnson | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Warren spoke admirably of his one-time college teammate.

“Theo is as athletic a tight end as you'll find. He runs really great routes and is a really fast guy. He might be a little higher up on that scale, and I do a little more of everything. He helped me out, and I can't say enough good things about what he meant to me throughout my process," he said.

Johnson, the Giants’ 107th overall selection last spring, saw a similar trajectory as Warren in his campaign with Penn State. He started with four catches for 56 yards and an average of 14.0 yards per catch in a dismal first year but would rebound to post 12 scores in the next three seasons.

He never produced the same yardage as his younger teammate, but he did bring that versatile vertical element that separated him from many prospects in his class and caught the Giants’ attention. They needed to introduce that element into their offense after the failed experiment with veteran Darren Waller in 2023, and they saw some promising flashes from the novice.

In 12 games played this past season, Johnson gave New York 29 catches on 43 targets for 331 yards, one touchdown in Week 9 against the Commanders, and an average haul of 11.4 yards that finished fourth on the team’s offensive leaderboard.

Unfortunately, a foot injury limited his rookie campaign, especially when the Giants couldn’t find consistent production from many of their wide receivers outside of Malik Nabers.

The hope is that with Johnson and others back healthy next season, the Giants can start unearthing that dynamic offense that Warren admitted to welcoming a chance to be a part of if the Giants were to draft him.

Realistically, it likely won’t be a reunion with his former Nittany Lion in the Big Apple as the Giants have their own separate priorities for the draft that don’t center around a tight end in the early rounds where Warren is slated to jump off the board.

No matter where he lands, Warren knows that he didn’t do it alone. He built an excellent support system at Penn State and relationships that will continue to help him achieve success at the NFL level.

He’s not so worried about being the best among his fellow position players either, only about doing the best he can for his soon-to-be employer and redefining the importance of a talented tight end in the modern game.

"I'm not really focused on trying to be better than other people," Warren said. "Just trying to be the best tight end I can be, and I think that's what's helped me do whatever's needed within the offense. That's what I focus on. I try to get good at a lot of different things in a lot of different roles."

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