Nine days to go. That’s all that’s left before draft night. And if you’re GM Ryan Poles, you’re probably pacing a little more than usual at Halas Hall. Because sitting at No. 10 is a bit of a trap zone. The surefire blue-chip guys, those top 6 or 7 gems everyone agrees on, they’ll be gone by then. At 10, you’re walking the line between taking value and making a reach. It’s a tricky business. But Ryan Poles, he’s been calculated since Day 1. He’s building Chicago brick by brick for 2025. He got his star QB in Caleb Williams, a stud in D’Andre Swift in the backfield, and a stacked O-line. Now, there’s plenty of buzz that the next brick might just be a tight end. And not just any TE—a Gronk-type TE!

On April 15, Mike Mayock hopped on The Rich Eisen Show with his “Mike May-ock Draft” that mocked a Penn State star to the Bears at No. 10. “We talked briefly last week about it, Rich, and I’m not changing my thought process,” he told his host. “I love Tyler Warren there. I’m a Cole Kmet fan, but I love both of them in the game at the same time.” Yeah, Penn State’s versatile weapon Tyler Warren is high on Ryan Poles’ potential target. The former Raiders GM and ex-draft analyst for NFL Network added—“I think a guy with the unique skill set of Tyler Warren from Penn State does that. He can line him up everywhere. He’s built more like a Gronkowski than a smaller, quicker tight end. He’s not afraid to block.” See the Gronk comp. 

New England Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski. The bar. The prototype. And Tyler Warren fits that comp very well. Talk about build—Gronk’s a 6’6, 265-pound beast, and the Penn State product stands tall at 6’5, 256 pounds. Nearly a mirror. And just like Gronk in his prime, Warren moves like a maniac. “You can move him like a Swiss Army knife all over fullback Y, wing back, he was a shotgun guy at Penn State. I’m not sure he’s going to be in the shotgun there, but at the end of the day, I love the fit,” Mayock added. The guy’s been there, done that. And most importantly, he delivered.

Tyler Warren played all 16 games last season and lit it up—104 receptions for 1,233 yards and eight scores, 218 yards and four TDs on the ground, and even completed 3 of 6 passing attempts for 35 yards and another score. No wonder he’s awarded the John Mackey Award. Against USC, he went full Gronk-mode with 17 catches for 224 yards. He threw, he snapped, he was a total sensation for Penn State. Now, let’s circle back to Ryan Poles. 

The perfect puzzle piece for Ryan Poles?

So here’s the thing. Look at the Bears’ TE room. Cole Kmet’s locked in as TE1, but behind him, Durham Smythe, Stephen Carlson and a couple of guys still fighting for a shot. That’s where Ryan Poles could strike gold. Pairing Kmet with a Gronk-style weapon like Tyler Warren? That’s versatility at best. Especially under new HC Ben Johnson, a guy who built his name drawing up wild sets in Detroit. Two TE formations with Warren and Kmet? That’s heat. 

And of course, Mike Mayock isn’t the only one who sees Tyler Warren in Chicago as a great fit. ESPN’s Mel Kiper is optimistic about the fit—“Landing Warren would give the second-year quarterback another reliable target. New Bears coach Ben Johnson could line up Warren anywhere, get him the b— and let him roll to first downs after the catch.” Even Rhett Lewis from NFL.com says the No. 1 TE’s value is just too good to ignore. 

And by the way, only three TEs have cracked the top 10 in the last decade—Eric Ebron, T.J. Hockenson, and Kyle Pitts. If Ryan Poles pulls the trigger at 10 to land Tyler Warren as the fourth guy, it won’t just be rare. It might be revolutionary.