When the Chicago Bears drafted tight end Colston Loveland there was a debate about how much he could be utilized early into his career compared to whether this was a long-term pick. ESPN reporter Dan Graziano was at the Bears training camp and he is hearing that Loveland is going to be a part of this offense much sooner than later.
Chicago Bears are expecting big things from Colston Loveland in 2025
The argument against Loveland is that he is a tight end in a league where it takes tight ends a good while to come into their own. Most take two or even three years before they are true pieces in the offense. Beyond that, the Bears have Cole Kmet, who has been steadily progressing at the position.
They may not have long-term plans for Kmet, but they are clearly going to utilize his ability early in the season. So, this could result in Loveland not quite making an immediate impact.
However, all indications are that it is not the case. Loveland is a special talent, which is why he went top ten in the draft that featured another tight end who is expected to have a strong rookie season.
An even better indication of Loveland’s success is that he is playing with Ben Johnson. Johnson just coached Sam LaPorta, who is currently fifth all-time in yards by a rookie tight end. This shows that Johnson knows that when he has the type that he likes, he can utilize that player early.
More than that, Loveland has a skill set that resembles LaPorta, so you could make the case that it is as simple as plug-and-play for the role.
The team has DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Olamide Zaccheaus, Luther Burden III, and Cole Kmet, so it is not like the passing game can revolve around Loveland and no one else. However, Burden is the only player besides Loveland that Johnson drafted, and it was after the team already had Loveland. They are clearly high on him and are expecting him to make a Year 1 impact.
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The fact that Graziano is seeing this come to fruition may suggest that Loveland is even better than they projected. This could be a big year for Loveland.