Colston Loveland and Luther Burden dubbed rookies 'on the cusp' of starting in 2025

Chicago Bears rookies Colston Loveland and Luther Burden were recently dubbed first-year players on the cusp of starting in 2025.

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The Chicago Bears' 2025 NFL Draft class has a chance to be pretty special in Year 1 of the Ben Johnson era, primarily because the first two picks were spent on playmakers who should pay immediate dividends on offense this season.

Chicago used their first-round pick on Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, whose blend of size, athleticism, and skilled route running will make him a lethal weapon for Johnson's playcalling wizardry.

Then came Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden, who began the 2024 college football season with a high-first-round grade but fell to Round 2 because of some on-field regression and off-field questions. Burden profiles as a DJ Moore-style receiver, and we know how electrifying that can be.

However, as exciting as Loveland and Burden's scouting reports are, they'll face stiff competition for reps because of the veterans who are ahead of them in the pecking order.

Loveland must overtake Cole Kmet -- and his $50 million contract -- to become the Bears' primary pass-catching tight end, while Burden must make his presence felt in a passing game that already features Moore and Rome Odunze.

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As a result, both Loveland and Burden were dubbed by Pro Football Focus as rookies who aren't yet locks to start in 2025, but are on the cusp.

"The Bears should have major offensive roles for their first two selections, Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III," PFF's Dalton Wasserman wrote. "Part of it will depend on how often new head coach Ben Johnson utilizes two-tight end sets, which favors Loveland, versus three-receiver sets, where Burden would be the third fiddle along with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze."

And don't forget about Boston College tackle Ozzy Trapilo, who PFF noted could win a competition for a starting job in Chicago in 2025.

Trapilo feels more like a front-runner to start than a guy who could win a competition, in my opinion. The Bears invested a second-round pick on him and have suggested he'll begin his career as a left tackle. With Braxton Jones likely headed for the PUP list in training camp, Trapilo might begin his career with the first team. At the very least, he'll rotate with Kiran Amegadjie, and I don't think that will be much of a competition once the pads go on. Traplio is the better player.

When it's all said and done, the Bears will have three rookies from their 2025 NFL Draft class playing significant roles on offense this season, capping off a wildly successful offseason by GM Ryan Poles.

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