Exec Says Colston Loveland Is Not Sam LaPorta. He's Better

Taking a tight end in the 1st round of the NFL draft was not something Chicago Bears fans expected after the end of last season. If you'd polled people at the time, most would've said offensive line, pass rusher, or maybe running back. However, things always take unexpected turns in the offseason. The decision can be made for you based on how free agency goes and how the board falls ahead of you. Chicago secured help on both lines in March, easing the burden of having to improve. When the top running back and three offensive tackles went in the first nine picks, the Bears had a decision to make. They opted to go for the top talent at an untouched position. That is how they landed on Colston Loveland.

It was easy to see the appeal. Experts saw a highly athletic and gifted pass-catcher with speed, hands, and route-running skills that are rare for a tight end. The immediate comparison most made for him was Sam LaPorta, the Detroit Lions' Pro Bowler. Head coach Ben Johnson, who coached LaPorta, admitted there were some definite similarities. However, one NFL executive made it clear to Mike Sando of The Athletic. Loveland is not LaPorta. He's better.

“Loveland is going to catch a million balls,” an exec said. “He will be better than (Sam) LaPorta. He is such a good receiver, and he’s bigger — two inches taller and another 10 pounds. They will have an 11 personnel package with Burden in the slot and the 12 package when Burden is off the field with Loveland and Kmet on the field. They are set up pretty well.”

Colston Loveland has greater physical traits.

People forget that LaPorta is 6'3, 245 lbs with 4.61 speed. While that is more than acceptable for a tight end, it helps showcase how much of a freak the Bears' new rookie is. Loveland is 6'6, 250 lbs, and is believed to run in the low 4.5s. So he's bigger and faster. Considering what LaPorta did in Johnson's offense for two years, that should terrify other NFL teams. It's as if LaPorta is a Pokémon who just evolved into his next form. Critics can't even present the usual argument that he doesn't know how to run routes.

That is the strongest part of the rookie's game. The truth is, Colston Loveland probably should've gone even earlier in the 1st round based on his talent alone. He didn't because of a shoulder injury that nagged him towards the end of last season, and the fact that he was constantly undercut by horrible quarterback play at Michigan. If he'd had anything like the passing talent Tyler Warren enjoyed at Penn State, he might've gone in the top five. Chicago sensed what he could become and had no intention of letting it slip by.