When you draft a player in the top ten of the NFL draft, they are often the biggest story to watch from the rookie draft class. Pro Football Focus highlighted one rookie on every team to preview the NFL season, and to the shock of no one, they chose Colston Loveland.
"Tight end was a quiet weak spot for Chicago last season, as the group ranked 30th in receiving grade. Former Michigan Wolverine Colston Loveland could be the solution. Despite playing in a run-heavy offense, Loveland earned a 90.8 receiving grade over the past two seasons, fourth among FBS tight ends. His talent, combined with Ben Johnson’s history of tight end utilization, could make for an ideal pairing."Dalton Wasserman
Chicago Bears hope to see Colston Loveland make an immediate impact
It will be interesting to see just how much usage Loveland gets in year one. As noted, Ben Johnson is a great scheme fit for Loveland. He profiles similarly to Sam LaPorta, who excelled in the Johnson scheme and had an excellent rookie season.
However, there are some things working against him. LaPorta is more of an exception than a rule when it comes to rookie production from the tight end position. Usually, it takes tight ends a year or two to integrate fully.
Moreover, the team boasts Cole Kmet. Kmet has been working with and sometimes behind Loveland, but the reality is that Loveland is going to see some of his playing time cut because they have a starting capable player, and Loveland is still growing as a player.
Lastly, they have a group of receivers that is pretty deep. The team added Luther Burden to DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Olamide Zaccheus. The team is deep in the room. So, Loveland could splash here and there and show promise, but he may not be the instant rockstar.
If Ozzy Trapilo ends up starting over Braxton Jones, his role may be more important than Loveland in year one. Beyond that, the team is relying more on Shemar Turner to hit the ground running. If you were looking to get beyond the obvious to find a better spotlight, both of them could have been good selections.
Read more: Former Bears top 10 pick could be secret ingredient to offense's success in 2025
However, no one is surprised that the top ten pick is the spotlight player, and a player expected to see the field early.