NFL insider reveals why the Chicago Bears selected Colston Loveland over Tyler Warren

The Chicago Bears' decision to select Michigan TE Colston Loveland over Penn State's Tyler Warren was quite the surprise, but one NFL insider revealed why.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears made a calculated decision in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft with their selection of Michigan tight end Colston Loveland.

The pass-catching mismatch made a late surge up the first round and ultimately leapfrogged Penn State's Tyler Warren, who was considered the top tight end in the 2025 draft from about midway through the college football season.

But Loveland's blend of size, athletic ability, and wide receiver skills made him the right fit for what the Bears want to do on offense this season.

Sports Illustrated NFL insider Alber Breer shed more light on the Bears choosing Loveland in his latest mailbag.

"I was actually surprised in the days leading up to the draft how many scouts and coaches had Colston Loveland over Tyler Warren," Breer wrote. "Why? Well, they’re different players, so I think it boiled down to team preference. Loveland was more the athletic, route-running separator (he’s also three years younger). Warren was more than a Swiss Army knife, who could be used a million different ways, was a big, tough, physical menace with the ball in his hands, and made a ton of catches in traffic.

"If you look at what Ben Johnson had in Sam LaPorta in Detroit, the choice of Loveland makes sense."

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The Loveland-LaPorta comp has been the talk of the Bears' offense since the first-round pick was made, and it does make at least some sense. Yet, for as good as LaPorta was as a rookie in 2023, Loveland's upside is even higher.

Loveland is bigger (three inches taller) and a more fluid route-runner; he looks like more like a wide receiver than a tight end.

Indeed, Loveland is nothing more than a projection right now. LaPorta has proven himself on the field, thanks in large part to the situations that Johnson put him in. It's why the expectations for Loveland were high enough to make him a top-10 pick.

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