Tyler Warren or Armand Membou?
That’s the prevailing debate in New York Jets-land right now. But is there a name missing?
NFL draft analyst Nate Tice thinks so.
Tice, a former University of Wisconsin quarterback who has established himself as one of the best film analysts in the NFL media space, believes the Jets could pass on Warren in favor of a different tight end.
In a breakdown for Yahoo Sports comparing Warren against fellow tight end prospect Colston Loveland, Tice opined that Loveland is the better prospect and that the Jets could take him over Warren at No. 7.
“Warren and Loveland have paths to be strong contributors as receivers, but it’s Loveland’s potential as a true in-line blocker that gives him the edge for me, with the added variables of youth and other traits helping tip it over, too. There’s more to tap into with Loveland.
“But it’s still two fun prospects in a class full of them at the position. Loveland’s potential to be a winning player at different spots also makes it easier to find a role on a team for him, and for him to have more potential landing spots in the draft. Even if teams in the top 10 like the Jets at No. 7 or the Bears at 10 took Loveland, I wouldn’t be fazed. It might seem rich, but Loveland’s stock is one worth buying.”
Warren and Loveland are in a similar boat when it comes to receiving ability, despite having much different skill sets. In 2024, Warren ranked second among qualified FBS tight ends with 2.78 yards per route run, while Loveland ranked third at 2.67. It is also worth noting that Loveland is two years younger.
While they displayed similar efficiency as receivers, Warren is widely considered the better overall prospect due to his supposedly better blocking. Warren is popularly viewed as a complete tight end who is just as dominant of a blocker as he is a receiver. Conversely, Loveland is commonly viewed as a pure pass-catching type who struggles with blocking.
However, Jets X-Factor’s Joe Blewett demonstrated on film that Warren’s blocking is not as much of a sure thing as many suggest. Meanwhile, Loveland’s surprisingly impressive blocking served as the basis of Tice’s affinity for him as a prospect.
“And going into this film study, I expected Loveland to have further to go as a blocker in comparison to Warren,” Tice wrote. “But as the film of the 2024 season went along, Loveland really came into his own as a blocker. Not just out in space against smaller off-ball defenders, but from in-line spots blocking edge defenders as well.”
Within the draft consensus, there remains a noticeable gap between the two tight ends. According to NFL Mock Draft Database, Warren is the No. 9 overall prospect, while Loveland is down at No. 20.
But if analysts like Tice are correct, NFL teams might view the two prospects as more interchangeable than the general public.
And Darren Mougey’s Jets could certainly be one of those teams.
