Colts Predicted to Select 'Unique' Offensive Talent

The Indianapolis Colts desperately need a solid playmaker at tight end for 2025 and beyond. After another grueling and underwhelming performance from their position group last year, the writing is on the wall for a draft selection to hopefully do the trick.

Tyler Warren has been mocked to the Colts in draft scenarios so much that it's ad nauseam, but there are other players at the position that make up for a deep class for 2025 at tight end. After Warren, it's Michigan's Colston Loveland as the next best prospect.

Pro Football Focus has Indianapolis going the route of the Michigan product, as Dalton Wasserman selects him after Warren is taken at seventh by the New York Jets.

"The Colts did not have a single tight end last year who compiled either 200 receiving yards or at least a 60.0 PFF receiving grade. Loveland’s 90.8 PFF receiving grade across the past two seasons ranked fourth in the FBS," Wasserman wrote. "His ability to win from anywhere in the formation is unique, and his recovery from a shoulder injury should reenergize him as a blocker."

Loveland is a shifty tight end who can manipulate defenders with precise route-running and smooth timing in cuts to get open. This is what is needed to help Anthony Richardson with his accuracy issues that plagued him in 2024. While the Colts did have Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, and Alec Pierce to help Richardson, there was no semblance of a tight end to be found.

Loveland amassed 56 catches for 582 receiving yards and five scores in 2024 for the Wolverines. As for his three-year stint in Michigan, he tallied 117 receptions for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns. In short, Loveland might not be Warren, but he's still a great option for what the Colts need at the position.

Do people realize how big of a nightmare Colston Loveland is going to be for opposing defenses?

1. Bigger than a LB
2. Quicker than a CB

A walking mismatch… https://t.co/M4udmb1Vlb pic.twitter.com/vlwcIFLpQY
— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) April 2, 2025

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The downside to Loveland is he's not the most effective blocker, as displayed by his PFF grade of 53.3 run blocking (140 snaps). However, he isn't horrific and can still get the job done enough that Richardson or Jonathan Taylor can work with whatever he's throwing.

Tough one for the “Colston Loveland can’t block” crowd… https://t.co/M4udmb1Vlb pic.twitter.com/W9XkemjL5X
— SCOUTD (@scoutdnfl) April 2, 2025

The Colts can do a lot worse at tight end than Loveland. In 2024 alone, Loveland had 17 more catches in 10 games than the entire Colts tight end room (39), which is telling of how bad the receiving prowess was from Indy's position.

When it's all said and done, it's clear that Indianapolis must draft a talent at tight end. While there is LSU's Mason Taylor who will likely be a second-rounder, the Colts might not be able to afford to take a swing like that.

Loveland is a prospect who poses mismatch qualities and can leave coverage defenders in the wake of his routes, giving the quarterback an easy target that might be too big to size up against but also too fast to catch in precision route-running.

If the Colts don't move up with a trade to secure Warren and he's gone by the seventh pick, like Wasserman believes, Loveland is the most realistic selection to shore up tight end in 2025.

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