Drafting Colston Loveland was a surprise last year. Fans didn’t see it coming. While they knew tight end was a possibility, they expected Penn State’s Tyler Warren as the likely target. What many don’t know is it was also a surprise to Loveland himself. He hadn’t conducted a private meeting with the Chicago Bears in advance of the draft. The only time they met was at his Michigan pro day. Loveland took that to mean they were probably leaning in a different direction. So the announcement on opening night came as a shock.
Part of it was also because the tight end felt he had a strong idea of where he would end up. During an appearance on Bussin’ With The Boys, he revealed that every indication going into draft night was that the Los Angeles Chargers were his likely landing spot.
Los Angeles was recently taken over by new head coach Jim Harbaugh, who, of course, recruited and developed Loveland at Michigan. If anybody understood what the tight end was capable of, it’d be him. There was one problem. The Chargers didn’t pick until 22nd overall. That gave other teams a chance to steal him. A chance the Bears seized.
“I was definitely surprised. Like, I was, in my head, I’m thinking no later than the Chargers, but I’ll probably go like that. That was kind of what I was thinking. So when they (the Bears) picked me up, I was definitely surprised, but I kind of knew (at my) pro day we met, and I feel like I killed that shit, you know? Yeah, I think I did good.”
The Bears were very fortunate to get Colston Loveland.
Not enough people talk about how Harbaugh’s decision to take the Chargers job was so important. Imagine if he’d gone to the Las Vegas Raiders instead. He had ties to the organization from his time as an assistant coach and had flirted with the idea in years past. That team held the 6th pick in the 2025 draft. Even if Harbaugh had improved their record, they likely would’ve been in a much better position to go after Loveland in the 1st round. The Chargers were way too far out of range to even consider trading up.
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Thinking back on it now, that isn’t a world the Bears want to live in. Colston Loveland is the first true non-QB with star potential they’ve drafted in years. We’re talking Brian Urlacher-level capability. His rookie season was outstanding, as he led the team with 713 yards and 6 touchdowns. Everybody knows what having a star tight end can do to the fortunes of a franchise. Look at Travis Kelce, George Kittle, and Rob Gronkowski. Opponents have few answers for them, especially when in the hands of elite play callers like Ben Johnson.
The truth is, Harbaugh had no shot at Loveland.
Even if the Bears had passed on him for some reason, it was well-documented that several teams were trying to trade up to get him. The likely scenario was that a team would jump somewhere between picks 11-13 to get him, making sure to get in front of the Colts at #14. Remember, they ended up selecting Warren. Maybe the Chargers were one of those teams, but the way they’ve operated over the past three years doesn’t back up that possibility. They haven’t been known for aggressive moves in the 1st round.
Ultimately, Chicago took advantage of their high draft position. Johnson recognized immediately what Colston Loveland could do. No doubt his background as a tight ends coach helped with that. Get him in the right situations, and he’d be impossible to cover. There were already signs of it last season. The training wheels are off now.
