Chicago Bears select Michigan TE Colston Loveland at No. 10

GREEN BAY, Wisc. (WGN) — With their first pick in the NFL draft, the Chicago Bears have selected Michigan tight end Colston Loveland.

According to the Bears, with the selection, Loveland becomes just the third tight end selected by the Bears in the first round of an NFL Draft in the Common Draft Era, joining Hall of Fame TE Mike Ditka (1961) and TE Greg Olsen (2007).

In 39 career games for the Wolverines, Loveland made 117 catches for 1,466 receiving yards (37.6 YPG) and 11 TD catches. He had 56 catches for 582 yards (58.2 YPG) and five TD catches in 2024.

Loveland does already have a Chicago connection. The Bears’ tight ends coach is Jim Dray. Dray played for Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh in college as a tight end at Stanford, and Harbaugh coached Loveland for the Wolverines, per ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.

This is what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had to say about Loveland when he scouted him ahead of the NFL draft:

“Talented young tight end with the athletic ability and ball skills to become an elite talent as a pass catcher. Colston plays the game like a big wideout, capable of separating from man coverage and making plays on all three levels.

“He has good play speed and runs a route tree full of branches, allowing creative play-callers to move him around as a mismatch option. His routes can be a little hurried and lacking in detail but that should change with coaching. He’s graceful in-air and catches the ball with good timing and strong hands.

“He will keep filling out his frame but is unlikely to ever become more than average as a blocker. Colston’s collection of athletic traits and catch talent creates a high ceiling with the opportunity to become a high-volume target and future Pro Bowler.”