The New Orleans Saints have holes all around the roster, which means that they will need to spend their resources this offseason. Could they afford to spend a first round pick on a tight end?
There is only one player in this draft that would come close to warranting that high of a selection, Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren.
Warren spent five years in college and didn’t really break out until this past season, but he was good enough to ignore late development. He showed some signs of growth last season, but his senior year was a completely different story.
The versatile tight end had 104 catches for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns. Adding to that, he had 26 rushes for 218 yards and four more scores. He was all over the field for the Nittany Lions and performed well in a number of different roles. There was even a single play in which he both snapped the ball and caught a touchdown.
It has been years since the Saints had a true difference maker at tight end. There is Taysom Hill, but he’s not even close to a traditional player in the role. Warren has a lot of the same role versatility, but is also still built like a normal tight end.
Putting the Nittany Lions product in the same role that Juwan Johnson has held for the last few years could be a recipe for success and finally give a reliable weapon in that spot. Warren needs to grow as a blocker and isn’t the sharpest route runner, but those traits can be developed.
