Chicago Bears select Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with No. 10 pick

The Bears added an offensive weapon to their arsenal Thursday night in the first round of the NFL Draft. They just didn’t select one that many expected.

After months of debates of whether Bears general manager Ryan Poles would add to the trenches or add a playmaker, the Bears drafted Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with the No. 10 pick.

“I’m glad I was meant to be with the Bears,” Loveland told reporters virtually Thursday night. “I’m super excited.”

The Bears first spent a lot of time with Loveland at the NFL Combine in February and then continued building their relationship at Michigan’s Pro Day in March. There he met with new Bears coach Ben Johnson, who told Loveland that he reminded Johnson of Lions Pro Bowl tight end Sam LaPorta.

Johnson also told Loveland that he envisioned running similar plays for Loveland in Chicago.

The Bears had their choice of the top tight ends on the board at No. 10 after three offensive tackles were selected in the first nine picks. Penn State’s Tyler Warren was also available along with Georgia edge Jalon Walker.

While Bears senior director of player personnel Jeff King said he thought both tight ends and Walker would have successful careers, the Bears liked Loveland.

“Tough, smart, he has a presence, competitive, all the things that we are trying to build here – he encompasses as a human," King said. “That’s not even getting to the field yet. You talk about the cover of the album being your first pick, he embodies that.”

At 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds, Loveland became a top pass-catcher for Michigan. He started 24 games over three seasons for Michigan, helping the Wolverines win a national championship a couple of seasons ago.

Loveland led the team with a single-season tight end-record 56 receptions, 582 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He was a finalist for the Mackey Award, given to the nation’s top end.

Loveland dealt with a right shoulder injury for much of the season after hurting it against Arkansas State in September. He had surgery to repair an AC joint in the shoulder in January and both he and King said he’d be ready for training camp.

Poles saw versatility in Loveland’s game and liked how it could fit in Johnson’s offense. The Lions were one of the top teams in the NFL last season who used two-tight end sets with Johnson as their offensive coordinator.

Loveland joins a Bears tight ends room that includes Cole Kmet and Durham Smythe and gives quarterback Caleb Williams another big target with his frame. Kmet is looking for a rebound in Johnson’s offense after finishing with 474 receiving yards on 47 catches and 55 targets last season.

King thought that Kmet and Loveland complemented each other and could open up Johnson’s offense.

“They have a little bit of complementary skillsets,” King said. “But I think also for us, it’s being able to mix and match those guys. Cole can do a lot of different things as well. So having two guys with size that can separate, who can run with the ball in their hands, I think it creates mismatches. I think it creates creativity for an offense in Ben’s eyes.”

Loveland was also excited to play with Williams. He said Williams already reached out to Loveland Thursday night and looked forward to their future together.

“Stud,” Loveland said. “I love his game, just watching him throughout college. He’s that man. I’m super excited.”