ColstonLoveland

News: 3 days agoLoveland is listed as a starting tight end along with Cole Kmet on the Bears' unofficial depth chart.

Spin: The 10th overall pick in the 2025 Draft, Loveland had a slow start to his rookie season, coming out of Week 8 with 11 catches total on the campaign and one DNP due to a hip injury. From Week 9 through the Bears' divisional-round loss to the Rams, though, he ran roughshod over opposing defenses, hauling in 59 of 89 targets for 790 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games. Loveland capped that stretch with four consecutive contests with double-digit targets, indicating he left off last season as QB Caleb Williams' top option in the passing game. While Loveland still has to contend with WRs Rome Odunze and Luther Burden (groin) for the attention of Williams, the tight end is poised to make a leap to the NFL's best at the position.

ESPN Fantasy Projection: After averaging 4.1 targets and 8.5 fantasy PPG during his first 14 NFL games, Loveland leaped to 12.0 targets (10-plus in each) and 20.0 fantasy PPG during his final four games of 2025 (including the playoffs). For perspective, there have been only 12 instances of a tight end seeing at least 10 targets in four consecutive regular-season games in NFL history (and only one was a rookie). Loveland's overall efficiency was terrific, as he ranked eighth or better among tight ends in YPR, YPT and YPRR. With DJ Moore gone, the 2025 first-round pick enters his age-22 season all but locked into a massive workload alongside Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. Loveland's ceiling is lofty, and midrange fantasy TE1 should be his floor.