Breaking down why Colston Loveland was the right pick for the Bears in the first-round and his potential in Ben Johnson's offense
When drafting a player in the Top-10 of the NFL Draft, executives and coaches around the league tend to get caught up addressing the biggest need on the roster. You need a quarterback? You take the quarterback. You need an offensive tackle? You take the top offensive tackle.But, for a team like the Chicago Bears […]
When drafting a player in the Top-10 of the NFL Draft, executives and coaches around the league tend to get caught up addressing the biggest need on the roster. You need a quarterback? You take the quarterback. You need an offensive tackle? You take the top offensive tackle.
But, for a team like the Chicago Bears picking with the 10th overall pick last Thursday, there was no true need speaking to the front office, which allowed the team the freedom to take the best player available, a mindset that continued all weekend
"Our goal was to really lean on the board," general manager Ryan Poles said. "We put a lot of time into it. We wanted it to really speak to us. I talked about that over the last two days, not forcing really anything for need, but really just taking the best guys. And we just keep adding that to the roster to increase competition and to make our football team better and I thought we were able to do that."
That 10th overall selection turned out to be Colston Loveland, a tight end out of Michigan to join head coach Ben Johnson's offense. Many questioned the decision, especially factoring in the team has already committed to Cole Kmet at the position, but it's clear Loveland was the best overall player on the board.
After the pick, trade talks in the middle of the first-round quieted down, according to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. A good sign that the Bears selected a player other teams were trying to close in on and it speaks more to who Loveland is on and off the field.
"Really with Colston it starts with the person more so than the player," Johnson said. "I love the tape. I love everything about the tape. But when you get to know him as a man, it's really intriguing. It's who we want to be going forward, in my opinion. He stands for high football character, IQ, intelligence, [and] he's a great teammate."
So here we are. Loveland became the team's first draft pick of the Ben Johnson Era, and his addition gives quarterback Caleb Williams two reliable options to turn to in the passing game. The Bears wanted an offensive difference-maker and they found one who brings a lot to the table.
Ability to separate down the field
Loveland isn't your typical tight end. At 6'6, 248 pounds with the ability to work down the field, Loveland works more as a big wide receiver than what you'd expect from a normal player at his position. And that abnormal play-style makes him more appealing to the Bears' offense.
Using his size and speed, Loveland has the rare ability to separate down the field in the passing game. According to Pro Football Focus, Loveland caught six passes that were on 20+ yard throws in 2024 and seven more during the 2023 season. In fact, of Loveland's 11 career touchdowns, six of those came on 20+ yard throws.
That's a rare ability at the tight end position. For context, in the NFL last season, Las Vegas Raiders rookie tight end Brock Bowers led the position with only three touchdown receptions on throws of 20+ yards.
Coming Through In Big Moments
This was the one area Ben Johnson mentioned specifically about Loveland's game that excites him. Johnson envisions this team playing in big games down the road and in those games you need someone who can show up on the brightest stage.
"He doesn't bat an eye; he performs at a high level. And as we talk about where we're going as an organization, we're going to be playing in these big games with the bright lights. We need guys that are going to rise up to the occasion, and he's going to do that for us," Johnson explained.
In 2023, Loveland was on the Wolverines' squad that won the National Championship Game against Washington. Loveland caught three of his four targets for 64 yards in the win and was always a reliable target to turn to.
"It's a guy that you could feel confident going to in critical situations," Poles added.
Blocking
The other piece that comes with playing the tight end position is blocking. But, in a Ben Johnson-led offense operating with the "no block, no rock" mindset, that applies to everyone on the field.
"How are you going to block for your teammate when he has the ball? Because when you do those things right, then as a coaching staff, we're going to want to get you the ball a little bit more," Johnson explained.
Blocking is another thing Loveland excels at under the radar and it starts with his hand strength at the point of attack.
"What stands out? Obviously, the dynamic skillset to separate but also when you really study him in the run game, the blocking is way better than I think people realize," Poles said. "I asked him about his hand strength because not only can you see it when he catches the ball but when he blocks… when you watch the tape, you can see that."
Excitement with 12-Personnel possibilities
Going back to the concern about Loveland's fit with Kmet at the position, the simple solution is putting both players on the field. Ben Johnson ran one of the highest rates of 2-TE sets with the Lions and Loveland's fit as the "Y" allows Kmet to move in-line.
Having both players on the field at the same time as blockers and receivers expands what the offense can do play-wise to confuse opposing defenses.
"Nowadays you see teams trying to get two well-rounded tight ends that can do a lot, put defenses in a bind, so I'm super stoked to get in there and learn from him," Loveland said. "He's been doing it for a while, really good at it, so I'm excited. He can be a mentor for me, just get in there and attack it. Having 12-personnel, two tight ends that can do everything, can do a lot of things, that messes with the defense."
"It's versatile," Poles added. "You can do whatever you need to do. We can run the ball and play a physical brand of football. If you match that with a more physical, bigger personnel group, you have a mismatch on your hands as well. It's multiple and it allows Ben to do what he does best which, one, is to have a physical brand of football, but also be creative and do some things that are going to put teams in a pickle."
Overall, Loveland is a guy who's going to have an impact right way. He might not be the 800+ yard guy Sam LaPorta was for Ben Johnson as a rookie, but he's going to have a sizable role in this scheme.
Did the Bears necessarily have to take a TE with the 10th overall pick? The answer is no. It wasn't the biggest need for the roster. But Loveland's ability and potential with this team in 2025 and beyond is going to make this decision totally worth it.