Nick Saban's comments on TE Colston Loveland tell you all you need to know about the Bears' decision in selecting him 10th overall
When the Chicago Bears selected tight end Colston Loveland with their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the initial buzz was a mixed reaction, but the more you hear about the pick from notable figures, the better this decision becomes.Loveland might not have been everyone's cup of tea, or everyone's top ranked tight end […]
When the Chicago Bears selected tight end Colston Loveland with their first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the initial buzz was a mixed reaction, but the more you hear about the pick from notable figures, the better this decision becomes.
Loveland might not have been everyone's cup of tea, or everyone's top ranked tight end in the class. But, the Bears and head coach Ben Johnson clearly believed in this guy and the impact he can bring to the Chicago offense.
One person who wasn't shocked to see Loveland's name called as the first tight end off the board was Nick Saban, one of the most prominent voices in college football history. And when he has something to say about a prospect, you listen.
“Another one of the recruits that we lost. He beat us in the playoffs. This guy is a fantastic athlete," Saban said. "He's the best receiver of all the tight ends in the draft."
It's hard to disagree with that. Loveland's ability to separate and win down the field in the receiving game is exception for his size. Saban even had Loveland listed as his tight end on his All-Offense team for the 2025 NFL Draft over Tyler Warren.
Saban seems to regret letting a guy like Loveland fall out of his hands and that's something the Bears didn't want to experience. Other teams were working the phones to move up and get this guy and the Bears didn't let them have the chance, even if they had to use a Top-10 selection.
ESPN's Peter Schrager even went as far to say that Loveland was his favorite selection of the first-round round while appearing on the Pat McAfee Draft Show.
Seeing the ringing endorsements for this selection only adds to the excitement for what the Bears are bringing in by drafting Loveland.
"It's not just one part of his game," general manager Ryan Poles said. "It's the totality of what he can do for us. When you turn on the tape, there's plays being made constantly. It's a guy that you could feel confident going to in critical situations."
Pairing Loveland with an innovative play-caller in head coach Ben Johnson with a quarterback like Caleb Williams brings an entirely new level to this whole thing. The Bears fully believe they landed a special player on Thursday night and a lot of people seem to be in agreement with the move.
