GREEN BAY, Wis. – A stunner!

With tight end Tyler Warren still on the board, the Chicago Bears and general manager Ryan Poles opted to zag, selecting tight end Colston Loveland from the University of Michigan with the No. 10 pick in the NFL Draft.

Loveland, a two-year starter for the Wolverines, caught 11 touchdowns and accumulated 1,466 receiving yards in three years in Ann Arbor.

Early last September, he suffered an AC joint dislocation that eventually sidelined him for Michigan’s postseason, choosing to have it surgically repaired. Loveland did not participate in workouts at the NFL Combine or Michigan’s pro day.

But the expectation is that Loveland will be back and full-go by the time OTAs roll around. He seemed confident he would be when speaking to reporters for the first time as a member of the Bears.

LOVELAND’S FIT

This is a Ben Johnson pick through and through.

Loveland almost confirmed as much when he told reporters that the Bears “were kinda asking me [during a meeting at Michigan’s pro day] who are some of my favorite tight ends, and I mentioned a couple, and I threw [Sam] LaPorta’s name in there.

Loveland then said Johnson told him, “Yeah, you remind me a lot of him. We did a lot of things with LaPorta [and] I can see you doing a lot of those things as well.”

How does Loveland compare to LaPorta, whom Johnson and the Detroit Lions selected in the second round in 2023?

Hands and speed.

It’s a rare combination in a 6-foot-6 receiver with a 248 lb. frame. Still, Loveland brings a top-notch pass-catching tight end to Johnson’s offense, and specifically to Caleb Williams, who struggled to consistently utilize the position in his rookie season.

In 2024, Williams only connected with tight ends Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett, and Marcedes Lewis for a whopping 512 receiving yards on 56 receptions.

Loveland wasn’t immune to drops and fumbles in college, but his ability to extend for the ball, paired with his north-south speed, elevated his stock and positioning on draft boards as the first round neared.

He’ll need to add some beef to his frame to become a more consistent and steadier force as a blocker.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR COLE KMET?

There is a way for both players to coexist. In fact, this sets up Johnson to have one of his favorite groupings on the field: 12 personnel.

The Bears’ head coach utilized multiple tight ends on around 35% of their offensive sets last season in Detroit.

Loveland sees this as an opportunity to learn from and become a complementary figure in the Johnson’s offense with Kmet.

“Nowadays, like this time, you see teams trying to get two well-rounded tight ends that can do a lot, put defenses in a bind,” Loveland told reporters on Thursday.

“I’m super stoked to get in there and learn from him. He’s been doing it for a while, really good at it, so I’m excited. He can be a mentor for me, just get in there and attack it. Like you said, having 12 personnel, two tight ends that can do everything, can do a lot of things, that messes with the defense.”

WHY NOT TYLER WARREN?

“Tyler is going to be a great player,” Bears senior director of player personnel Jeff King told us after the pick. “But for us, we just felt that the alignment from coaching, scouting, everybody that touched both players, that he was the best fit for us.

“We aren’t comparing players, but both of those guys are going to have really good careers. But Colston was the best fit for us.”

Staying put at No. 10 also allows the Bears to hold onto all three of their Day 2 picks, including No. 39 and No. 41 in the second round. Chicago will also select No. 72 overall in the third round.

On Tuesday, when asked about having four selections in the first three rounds, Poles said, “They’re very valuable to us. I think we can do some really good things to add to our football team and bring good players.”

As for Loveland’s affection for his new head coach, the 21-year-old tight end said:

“Just loved the guy, obviously, before I even met him. Just watching Detroit last year, the things they were doing. Man, really smart. Knows what he’s doing. Knows football. Finally being able to talk with him, meet with him, kind of pick his brain. Number one fan of that guy, for sure. He’s legit, he’s a stud.”

Updated: Thursday, April 24, 10:22 p.m.