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How does Colston Loveland's rookie season compare to other top TEs?

Colston Loveland has already developed into one of the league's most dynamic weapons at the tight end position. Where does his rookie season rank all time?
Jerry Markarian|
Jan 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland (84) runs onto the field before the game between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Jan 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears tight end Colston Loveland (84) runs onto the field before the game between the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

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It's important to stay patient when it comes to players transitioning from college football to the NFL, and that's especially been the case with the tight end position. TE's have historically taken longer to adapt to the speed of the pros. They also require a firm understanding of blocking assignments as well as their job in the passing game.

However, that trend has moved in the opposite direction in recent years, and the 2025 NFL Draft is a great example of that. The class featured three rookies who finished in the top ten (and a fourth, Oronde Gadsden II, who finished 11th) among all tight ends in receiving yards. Those three players, Colston Loveland, Tyler Warren, and Harold Fannin Jr., look like surefire superstars.

You could make a strong case that Loveland, who was the first tight end off the board with the tenth overall pick, was the best of the wildly talented and equally productive bunch.

While Loveland's career might not have started with a bang, he has developed into one of Caleb Williams most trusted targets over the second half of the season. Ever since his breakout performance against the Bengals (when he hauled in the game-winning 58-yard touchdown) he has led all tight ends in receptions, yards, and receiving touchdowns.

Loveland and Warren, whom the Colts selected with the 14th pick, are always going to be compared. The 2025 NFL Draft marked the first time two tight ends got selected in the first half of round one since 1973. The fact that they've both proven to be more than worthy of being selected where they were only furthers the debate.

While Warren, who finished the year with 76 catches for 817 yards and four touchdowns, had a great year in his own right, there was no debate as to who was better over the second half of the season. Loveland's impact on Chicago's offense cleared Warren's by a mile and a half. The latter only had 325 yards over the second half of the season (albeit without Daniel Jones for four of those games).

Fannin Jr. also had a major impact on Cleveland's offense, but he needed 14 more catches to have only 18 more yards. Loveland was much more dynamic, and that's saying a lot considering just how much of a tank Fannin is in the open field.

Looking at the bigger picture, Loveland's 713 yards rank 12th all-time at the position. Virtually everyone ahead of him went on to enjoy (or is currently enjoying) long and successful NFL careers. He also had more receiving touchdowns than four of the players ahead of him, including Brock Bowers, who had the most prolific season we've ever seen from a rookie tight end last year.

Bowers had 112 catches for 1194 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. We truly might never see another rookie tight end come close to matching those numbers ever again. It was the best season since Mike Ditka put up 56 catches for 1026 yards and 12 touchdowns in 1961. The only other player who came close to matching their yardage total was Kyle Pitts, who finished his rookie season with 1026 yards (and somehow only one touchdown) in 2021.

Interestingly, Lions' TE Sam LaPorta also had one of the most prolific seasons we've seen from a rookie tight end under Ben Johnson in Detroit. He finished the 2023 season with 86 catches for 889 yards and ten touchdowns. While Loveland wasn't able to recreate LaPorta's stat line, it's important to note that he was playing alongside Cole Kmet, who finished the year with 30 catches for 347 yards, while Detroit's number two TE in 2023, Brock Wright, had only 13 grabs for 91 yards.

As far as other tight ends across the league go, Loveland also put up better rookie numbers than Trey McBride, who had 29 catches for 265 yards; George Kittle, who had 42 catches for 515 yards; Mark Andrews, who finished with 34 catches for 552 yards; and Tucker Kraft, who had 31 catches for 355 yards. None of those players had more than three receiving touchdowns either.

The fact that he accomplished as much as he did at the age of 21 makes his rookie season exponentially more impressive. None of the players mentioned above were 21-year-old rookies, and they all actually turned 23 (or 24 in Kittle's case) during their rookie seasons. Warren is also 23. They were all still in college at Loveland's age.

Loveland's impact has also been felt beyond the stat sheets. He has been an A+ blocker and is a major reason the team has the third-best rushing attack. While the same can be said for a few of the players mentioned above, specifically Kittle and McBride, they were not nearly as good at blocking as Loveland has been during their respective rookie season. It took them some time to get to where they are today.

Much like the 2025 Chicago Bears, the 21-year-old is well ahead of schedule. He will be widely considered one of the league's best tight ends in no time.

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Jerry Markarian
JERRY MARKARIAN

Jerry Markarian has been an avid Chicago Bears fan since 2010 and has been writing about the team since 2022. He has survived the 2010 NFC Championship Game, a career-ending injury to his favorite player (Johnny Knox), the Bears' 2013 season finale, a Double Doink, Mitchell Trubisky, Justin Fields, and Weeks 8-17 of the 2024 NFL season. Nevertheless, he still Bears Down!

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