Ryan Poles promised a wild draft for the Chicago Bears, and he gave us our wish.
I was a little disappointed after day two of the NFL draft, not because of the players acquired, but because, for the first time, I missed all of the prospects I thought the Bears would select. We knew that if Ashton Jeanty were gone by the 10th overall selection, the Bears would likely go for a tight end. It should have been clear that they wanted a different type of tight end, but I failed to see the vision.
Colston Loveland was an excellent pick for the Chicago Bears. Many feel that he is here to replace Cole Kmet. Replacing Kmet isn't the answer.
How Loveland-Kmet TE combo could compare to others in the past
I am sure you have read and watched how two tight-end packages will be used heavily. I won't beat that into your head.
You should focus on past teams that have utilized multiple tight ends and thrived, such as the New England Patriots with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, as well as the Philadelphia Eagles, featuring Brent Celek and Zach Ertz, before going to Dallas Goedert. The Eagles overlapped between the three, ensuring they had at least two for multiple years each time.
The Baltimore Ravens have been trying for years since Todd Heap. Many don't remember his running partner, Terry Jones. When Jones was waived from the Ravens, the start of their downfall began. Jones did the dirty work, while Heap was the main pass-catching threat.
The Ravens wasted Heap's years after that until he retired, but found their roots again with their 2012 Super Bowl win with Dennis Pitta and Ed Dickson. Again, it was a bit too late, as both players were past their rookie contracts, and only one tight end was the future.
I shouldn't have to tell you about how the Ravens tried to find that build again by drafting Mark Andrews and Hayden Hurst in the same draft class while having Maxx Williams on the roster from years before. The Ravens figured out how they were successful in the past and planned to replicate that process. They haven't found their way back to the show, but they have been dominant because of the players doing the dirty work while thriving as playmakers.
Now, it is Andrews (catch the ball!) and Isaiah Likely leading the charge. Give it another year, and they will likely add another tight end to the pipeline.
How good can Loveland become? Most call him a Sam LaPorta type, but let me pump you up even higher. Loveland is built to play pass-catcher, as Jimmy Graham used to call it. At 21, he will likely touch that 6'6" mark at 248 pounds. Many people talk about how Loveland needs to add weight for blocking, but that isn't his job. He is a very fundamental blocker. Loveland needs to be the receiver he was in high school and dominate safeties and linebackers at the NFL level.
I wish we knew how fast Loveland was to get a better idea of how dominant he could become. I doubt he is Tony Gonzalez's 4.49 speed or Graham's 4.56, but Loveland is probably close.
I know most suggest he is a 4.7X guy, but Kmet is a 4.70 guy. Loveland seems much faster and more agile than Kmet. The biggest reason I am stuck on Loveland's speed is that the ceiling could be as high as a Graham, Gonzalez, or, dare I say it, a Brock Bowers.
Now, I am not saying Loveland will have Bowers's rookie performance. Bowers was the only weapon on the Raiders. Let's be serious. Graham had 300 yards receiving in his rookie season, and Gonzalez didn't break out until year three.
Don't forget that the Chicago Bears have D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze, and now a guy I will talk about next, in Luther Burden III.