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The Chicago Bears pulled the aggressive move to revamp their offense Thursday. Especially with Ben Johnson on board. They went with Colston Loveland at No. 10. But took the tight end over arguably the top TE of this class Tyler Warren.
The Penn State weapon received hefty praise for his near-flawless TE skills. Warren expected to land in Chicago, with ESPN NFL insider Field Yates calling the pick. Loveland earned late first round projections.
Johnson saw different, though. The new head coach watched a past Lions star in looking at Loveland, with ESPN Courtney Cronin revealing this after the pick got made.
“Colston Loveland said that Ben Johnson told him that he reminds him ‘a lot' of Detroit tight end Sam LaPorta,” Cronin shared.
She added how Johnson “expressed a desire to use him in the Bears offense similarly to how LaPorta was used for the Lions,” Cronin posted on X.
Bears TE Colston Loveland compared to past Ben Johnson weapon pre-draft
Johnson wasn't the only one who saw the LaPorta comparisons.
The Michigan star received the comparison to the standout TE by NFL Network draft expert Lance Zierlein. Even the draft insider observed parallels between the Pro Bowler in the Motor City and the Ann Arbor star.
“Talented young tight end with the athletic ability and ball skills to become an elite talent as a pass catcher. Colston plays the game like a big wideout, capable of separating from man coverage and making plays on all three levels,” Zierlein wrote in his evaluation. “He has good play speed and runs a route tree full of branches, allowing creative play-callers to move him around as a mismatch option.”
The newest Bear rises as a new target for Caleb Williams. The national champion also joins DJ Moore and Keenan Allen in this air attack. Chicago, though, features savvy veteran TE Cole Kmet. Loveland's selection points to more two tight end sets moving forward. Or Johnson placing Loveland on an island against a cornerback.
