Chicago Bears draft Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with No. 10 overall pick at NFL Draft

By Canadian Press on April 24, 2025.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears selected Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night.

Loveland set a school record for a tight end with 56 receptions for 582 yards and five touchdowns as a junior last season. He was second-team All-Big Ten and a finalist for the John Mackey Award given to college football’s top tight end. He was first-team all-conference in the 2023 national championship season, when he caught 45 passes for 649 yards and four TDs.

Loveland gives the Bears a potentially potent tight end tandem with Cole Kmet. New coach Ben Johnson liked to use two tight ends when he was Detroit’s offensive coordinator.

The Bears have been busy since finishing last in the NFC North at 5-12. They landed the most sought-after coaching candidate when they hired Johnson to replace Matt Eberflus, who was fired in the middle of a 10-game losing streak.

General manager Ryan Poles overhauled the offensive line in an effort to give last year’s No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams the protection he needs after getting sacked a franchise-record and league-leading 68 times. He acquired two-time All-Pro guard and four-time Super Bowl champion Joe Thuney from Kansas City and former Pro Bowl guard Jonah Jackson from the Los Angeles Rams. He also signed center Drew Dalman.

The Bears addressed their defensive line, adding two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo. They also agreed to contract extensions with linebacker T.J. Edwards through 2027 and cornerback Kyler Gordon through 2028.

Chicago also had two second-round picks (39, 41) and one third-rounder (72) on Friday, plus one pick in the fifth (148) and two in the seventh round (233, 240) on Saturday. ___

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Andrew Seligman, The Associated Press