Believe it or not, a recent 2025 NFL mock draft had the Indianapolis Colts passing on tight end Tyler Warren to instead take arguably the top cornerback in this class at pick No. 14.
With Warren still on the board in Dan Parr’s first mock draft for NFL.com, he had the Colts going in a different direction by selecting Michigan cornerback Will Johnson. With both players considered by many to be the best at their respective position groups, this would be a terrific scenario for the Colts to find themselves in.
Johnson is considered by many the top cornerback in this class, although where he might end up going has been up for debate.
Many mock drafts have the Jacksonville Jaguars taking Johnson at fifth overall, but a few notable recent mocks from Daniel Jeremiah and Trevor Sikkema have Johnson falling outside the top 10, which is obviously what also happened in Parr’s mock draft as well.
But regardless, the Colts landing Johnson at 14th overall would be a very good value for them.
Johnson would play in only six games during the 2024 season due to a turf toe injury, but had an excellent three years at Michigan. During that span, he allowed a completion rate of just 53% and had nine interceptions with seven pass breakups.
“Chris Ballard was chuckling with glee when Laiatu Latu fell to Indy in last year’s draft,” wrote Parr. “We might see a similar reaction from him if a player some view as the top corner in the draft slips to the Colts.”
After ranking in the bottom third of the NFL in several major pass defense categories, the Colts’ secondary has to be addressed this offseason–unlike last–and the play, as GM Chris Ballard mentioned, has to be better.
Warren, meanwhile, has been an extremely popular pick for the Colts in many mock drafts–and understandably so. He would bring not only a needed pass-catching presence to the tight end position, but a well-rounded and versatile skill set as well, allowing him to impact the offense in a variety of ways.
As I’ve detailed before, I’m still unsure if Warren gets to the Colts at 14th overall, but if he does, passing on him would be a very difficult decision in this case for the reasons mentioned. Warren’s impact within an offense goes beyond his own column in the stat sheet, he can open up opportunities for others.
But if the draft were to play out this way for the Colts, it would be an ideal situation where they have the opportunity to either take who many consider the top tight end or who many consider the top cornerback in this year’s draft–two very big positions of need for Indianapolis.