Colston Loveland is already drawing the kind of buzz that can change a player’s ceiling fast.
After just one season, the Chicago Bears tight end has landed at No. 7 in ESPN’s annual position rankings, which are compiled by league execs, coaches and scouts. That alone says plenty about how quickly he’s gained respect around the league. But one anonymous NFL personnel evaluator took it a step further and made the kind of comment that turns heads in Chicago.
“[Loveland] could be the Bears' top receiver next year. Expect to see more two- or three-tight-end sets from Chicago this year.”
That’s not just praise. It’s a hint at where this offense may be headed.
Loveland already gave Bears fans a glimpse of that kind of breakout as a rookie. He finished with a team-high 713 receiving yards, even though his 82 targets ranked only third on the roster. Now the path looks even clearer for him to become a bigger focal point.
Chicago moved on from D.J. Moore this offseason, and while Rome Odunze and Luther Burden remain in the mix, the tight end group is clearly going to matter in this offense. The Bears reinforced that idea by drafting Sam Roush in the third round, even with Loveland and Cole Kmet already on the depth chart.
The chemistry between Loveland and Caleb Williams also started to show late last season. For most of the year, Loveland wasn’t piling up huge target totals. He had double-digit targets in only two regular-season games, and both came in the final stretch: 10 targets in Week 17 and 13 in Week 18.
That usage carried into the playoffs. Loveland was targeted 15 times in Chicago’s Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers, then saw 10 targets in the Divisional Round.
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