Former Michigan TE Colston Loveland Led All 2025 First-Rounders in One Key Metric

There were some shocks when the Chicago Bears opted to pick Michigan TE Colston Loveland with the No. 10 pick. Not just because the Bears already had Cole Kmet, but Penn State TE Tyler Warren was the projected first TE off the draft board. But it turns out that the Chicago Bears knew exactly what they were doing in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Despite seeing limited playing time in the first four weeks of the season, Loveland finished with the No. 1 grade, per Pro Football Focus, of any of the first-round selections in this past draft. For the 2025 season, Loveland had an 85.3 grade, and not only did he lead the Bears' offense, but the next-best rookie was Panthers' WR Tetairoa McMillan, who had an 79.3 grade.

PFF first-round overall grades — DraftKings Sportsbook

During the course of his rookie season, Loveland turned out to be one of Caleb Williams' most reliable targets on the field. Towards the end of the season, when Williams needed someone, Loveland was there to make a play.

Loveland finished Year 1 in the NFL, recording 58 receptions for 713 yards and six touchdowns. He led the Bears in receptions, yards, and tied both DJ Moore and Rome Odunze with six touchdown receptions.

Loveland's Michigan career

The Gooding, Idaho, product played three seasons in Ann Arbor and finished his career as an All-American in 2024. Loveland was a two-time All-Big Ten selection, along with being a Mackey Award finalist in 2024.

From 2022-24, Loveland caught 117 receptions for 1,466 yards, and 11 touchdowns. Despite not having a reliable QB in '24 — Michigan rotated through three QBs — Loveland was still one of the most impactful TEs in America.

Right from Loveland's first snap as a Wolverine, it was clear that Michigan had a good one. He had the build for a TE, but had the movement, speed, and instincts of a WR — which is what made Loveland so elite.

Mason Graham, Kenneth Grant's rookie seasons

Loveland wasn't the only Michigan player to hear their name called in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Mason Graham was the No. 5 player off the board to the Cleveland Browns, and Kenneth Grant went No. 13 overall to the Miami Dolphins.

According to PFF, Graham was the No. 16 player from the first round, with a 68.7 grade. Grant was No. 31 with a 48.3 PFF grade.

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Mason Graham (94) and linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) celebrate. — Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

In his first season in the NFL, Graham tallied 49 tackles and a 0.5 sack. Per PFF, Graham struggled tackling and making the initial stop. PFF gave Graham just a 39.1 tackling grade, one of the worst on the team. He started in every game for the Browns in 2025.

While Graham had some struggles in his NFL rookie season, Kenneth Grant had plenty. Grant drew just five starts and was outplayed by his rookie teammate, former Maryland DT Jordan Phillips. Grant had 33 tackles and two sacks during his first year with Miami.

The Dolphins picked Grant to help clog up the middle, but Grant finished with a 41.2 run defense grade, which was the worst on the entire Miami defense.