Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears, Round 1, Pick 10
The Chicago Bears drafted Colston Loveland with the 10th pick of Round 1.
Fantasy Football Impact for Colston Loveland on the Chicago Bears
Colston Loveland was a big mover up draft boards this offseason. Viewed early as the TE2 behind Penn State's Tyler Warren, Loveland's selection at 10th overall was a shock to many. Rumors start swirling early in the week that he could be a top-10 pick, but it's hard to discern truth from smoke this time of year. After Travis Hunter (Pick 2) and Tetairoa McMillan (Pick 8), Loveland became the third pass catcher off the board.
Loveland was a part of Michigan's championship-winning team in 2023, and he served as the team's secondary option in the passing game. With J.J. McCarthy throwing to him, he broke out for 649 yards as a 19-year-old sophomore. His 2024 campaign may look like a setback, but the loss of McCarthy and head coach Jim Harbaugh proved a tough hurdle to overcome. Loveland's 528 yards and five touchdowns, although less than the year before, were more than double the next-closest on the team. His yardage made up for 35% of the team's receiving production.
Loveland is the ideal mismatch tight end for today's NFL. He measured in at 6-6 and 248 pounds at the Combine. A late-season injury required shoulder surgery, and he opted not to do any athletic testing this offseason. But the smooth and powerful movement is obvious when watching him on film. Loveland is a phenomenal receiver. He can run every route and has natural ball skills, as well as elite body control, which allows him to adjust to poorly thrown balls (a common occurrence in 2024). At just 21 years old, Loveland's frame is a bit slim. If he wants to develop into a worthy NFL blocker, he'll need to bulk up. He might be a bit one-dimensional early in his career, working primarily as a receiver from the slot. But what he does well, he does very well. And his fit on the Bears is especially intriguing.
The Bears extended tight end Cole Kmet through 2027 with a potential team-friendly out after the 2025 season. Kmet, a former second-round pick, is still just 26 years old. He has shown flashes throughout his career, albeit inconsistently. Kmet is a well-rounded tight end. He can block well and has the burst to beat a defender on a route. He and Loveland are complementary pieces, and Kmet's abilities in the blocking game should help Loveland ease into his role as a pass catcher.
New head coach Ben Johnson showed an affinity for 12 personnel last year. With Sam LaPorta and Brock Wright at his disposal in Detroit, Johnson lined up in 12 personnel on 32.2% of offensive snaps, third-most in the league. Loveland profiles very similarly to LaPorta. And while Wright might have a slight edge over Kmet as a blocker, Kmet is much more versatile when factoring in his receiving. This draft pick allows the Bears to stay in 12 personnel often. A corps of Loveland, Kmet, DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and a running back gives Johnson the ability to create mismatches on defenders and play uptempo with the same grouping. Johnson's creative playcalling with a slew of versatile weapons on the field should make Caleb Williams' job easy.
The Fantasy Football Fallout
Cole Kmet has consistently flirted with top-12 tight end seasons throughout his career, and likely would have been drafted there again in 2025. But this signing is a significant blow to Kmet. He'll be asked to block more often. While he'll probably be more involved in the receiving game than Brock Wright was, it's hard to imagine there will be enough to make him fantasy relevant. Rome Odunze, who was slotted in to be the team's secondary option, will see a slight downtick in expected usage. Olamide Zaccheaus likely falls to fourth or fifth in the pecking order, stifling any hopes of a sneaky breakout. DJ Moore has excelled in less-than-ideal situations before, so there's little worry for him.
Of course, the hope is that Caleb Williams takes a big step forward in his sophomore campaign. For Moore, Odunze, and Loveland all to be fantasy-relevant, he'll need to. But the change in coaching staff, free agency additions to the offensive line, and a pass-catching investment early in Round 1 make his breakout easy to envision.
And Loveland's value gets a massive bump. Draft capital will likely dictate that he becomes the preferred dynasty target over Tyler Warren, who is two years older and drafted four picks later. As the third pass-catcher drafted this year, Loveland will likely fall into the middle of the first round in dynasty drafts. He'll likely blossom as a favorite late-round sleeper in fantasy drafts, especially when compared to Sam LaPorta's rookie season with Ben Johnson.
Stock Watch
Risers
Fallers
Overview
The investment the Bears made in Colston Loveland makes him a significant riser coming out of the Draft. Ben Johnson gets a new toy alongside DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Cole Kmet, and hopes are that Caleb Williams will find his footing in the new system.
For more information on the 2024 NFL Draft, check out the Footballguys Rookie Draft Guide, where you can read about Colston Loveland, the Chicago Bears, and other rookie team fits.
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