Greg Olsen Thinks Colston Loveland Will Be Special

Greg Olsen knows better than most people what Colston Loveland is going through right now. The Chicago Bears have only drafted three tight ends in the 1st round in their franchise history. Mike Ditka was the first in 1961. Then it was Olsen in 2007. Both of them went on to become excellent players. Loveland is the third. That carries a ton of expectations, especially since he's a top 10 pick. Many people wonder if that was a wise decision by the Bears. Tight ends aren't considered a "premium" position in the NFL compared to quarterback, left tackle, pass rusher, and cornerback. A player must be pretty special as a talent to warrant the decision.

Olsen decided to dig into the 2025 tight end class to see where Loveland stacked. He appeared on The 89 Show with Steve Smith to talk about it. Bears fans will love his assessment. From his perspective, Olsen sees Loveland has a new-wave player. He can do all the normal things NFL tight ends can, such as finding space off play action and taking the easy throws underneath. What separates the 10th overall pick from others is his ability to beat single coverage without the need for scheming. He has the necessary speed and route-running skills. Only special tight ends can do that.

Greg Olsen likely sees himself in Loveland.

They are very much the same type of player. Olsen was known as a fast, athletic receiving tight end who could run routes more like a wide receiver. The problem was that many offensive coaches at the time wanted more of the Jeremy Shockey, Antonio Gates, and Tony Gonzalez types who had bigger bodies and could block. That was why the Bears traded Greg Olsen. Then-offensive coordinator Mike Martz saw little use for him. He went to Carolina, became a star, and helped the Panthers to a Super Bowl in 2015. It seems rather fitting that the Bears draft his spitting image years later with Loveland. He can do everything Olsen could and might be a better blocker. Unlike his predecessor, he'll have an outstanding offensive mind calling plays who loves tight ends. Olsen probably can't help but wonder what his career would've been with Ben Johnson.