Is Tyler Warren a stronger possibility for the Bears at No. 10 than some think?

CHICAGO (WGN) — The NFL draft is less than a month away and the discussion around how the Chicago Bears will use their 2025 draft picks will only get hotter and hotter, especially when it comes to their first selection at No. 10 overall.

On Sunday, WGN News’ Kaitlin Sharkey had a 1-on-1 interview with Bears safety Jaquan Brisker, who shared some interesting insights on a former teammate of his at Penn State—tight end Tyler Warren.

Brisker played at Penn State from 2019-21, while Warren’s career with the Nittany Lions spanned from 2020-24.

“I was there when Tyler first came in … He’s very quiet but he works very hard. He makes a lot of catches, like contested catches. He’s a hard worker. Doesn’t really say too much, but he’s definitely going to catch the ball,” Brisker said. “When I was there, he was the Wildcat quarterback because he used to play quarterback in high school. He could throw. He could run. He could catch.”

Listen, this isn’t me saying Brisker’s endorsement means Warren is a foregone conclusion at No. 10, but it is publicly known that new head coach Ben Johnson 1) Loves two-tight end sets, and 2) Is an absolute sicko when it comes to engineering trick plays on offense.

Ahead of the NFL scouting combine back in February, general manager Ryan Poles pointed toward how Johnson’s past offenses were successful, in part due to a high level of play from his tight ends.

“Part of his scheme, he showed it in Detroit. I know it’s not going to be exactly the same, but he is going to put those guys in a position to be successful,” Poles said at the time. “Usually with a young quarterback, tight ends are able to have a lot of production so, making sure those guys were lined up, have the chemistry seeing things the same [way].

“I believe from his past, that should be able to take off pretty good.”

According to Sumer Sports, the Detroit Lions were in 12 personnel on 32.2% of their plays on offense in 2024, the third-highest rate in the league. Only the Kansas City Chiefs (33.9%) and the Las Vegas Raiders (35.5%) were in 12 personnel more often than the Lions.

Then there is the trick play component to Johnson’s game. Bears fans surely remember the “stumble bum” play the last time Detroit came to town, but let’s rehash it anyways.

Stumble bum’s genesis goes back to Lions practice leading into their Week 16 matchup against the Bears in Chicago.

Johnson, Detroit’s offensive coordinator at the time, went to Jared Goff with an odd idea. He asked the Lions’ quarterback if he could fumble on purpose and pick the ball right back up.

Goff shot down Johnson’s idea, but the two worked on a tamer version where Goff appeared to “stumble” while the rest of the offensive line and backfield repeatedly yelled, “fumble,” only for Goff to suddenly recover and hit a receiver downfield in the confusion.

Detroit got the opportunity to run it on a first-down call in the third quarter.

Up 27-14 a little more than two minutes into the second half, they called stumble bum. Goff appeared to stumble while running back Jahmyr Gibbs pretended to jump on a fumble that never happened.

As Lions players yelled, “fumble, fumble!” Bears safety Jonathan Owens bit just enough on the fake for tight end Sam LaPorta to separate over the top. Moments later, Goff hit LaPorta for a 21-yard TD pass that put Detroit up 34-14 and sealed a Lions win.

Johnson later revealed the inspiration for the play came from a Sept. 10, 2023 game between the Green Bay Packers and the Bears. In the fourth quarter, Jordan Love fumbled a snap before recovering the ball. During the chaos that unfolded right after, Love hit tight end Luke Musgrave for a 37-yard completion that helped ice a 38-20 Packers victory.

On Jan. 22 during Johnson’s introductory press conference, he interrupted a question about the stumble bum play with a smile, where he said, “Did you like that one?”

The smirk on his face says it all. Johnson looks like a championship boxer, basking in the glow of a past high-profile knockout.

On the other end of the equation, Warren fits the profile of a player coveted by a trick play-concocting madman like Johnson.

He was voted college football’s best tight end in 2024, but Warren also showcased positional versatility at Penn State. Across 916 offensive snaps last year, he lined up in six different positions—quarterback (39), backfield (69), inline (414), slot (293), wide (93) and O-line (8)—meaning he took snaps at QB, running back, tight end and two different wide receiver spots, on top of a handful of plays on the offensive line.

“He’s an amazing football player. He got even better. You could tell he worked on his craft. I’m excited to see where he goes,” Brisker said. “I mean, him and Cole [Kmet] would be crazy. It would be one of the best duos all around the league. I feel like it’d be amazing, but we’ll see.”