The NFL Draft is a time for each franchise to add impact players, the names and faces that will change the future of the franchise. With the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft, the Chicago Bears landed what they feel is a franchise tight end in Michigan’s Colston Loveland.

The Bears are one of the most intriguing teams in the NFL right now. They have a good, young core and one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the league. Loveland is another major piece of what fans hope will be a championship puzzle.

Natural Toughness

We saw last year that having inherent toughness is part of the championship pedigree. On their way to bullying the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles pushed around opponents, fielding one of the toughest teams in the NFL.

Loveland, born and raised on a farm in Bliss, Idaho, comes from a tough background. He grew up raising sheep and wrangling horses, developing a clear work ethic from a young age. That work ethic definitely transfers to the NFL, where it takes dedication to become the best.

Elite Athlete

The first thing that jumps out about Loveland, even if you haven’t seen a second of his film, is his physical traits. Standing 6’6” and weighing 248 pounds, Loveland has prototypical size for the position. With most tight ends, you get size and blocking or speed and receiving skill, but Loveland possesses both.

His 4.7 40-yard dash time isn’t overwhelmingly impressive, but most believe that his game speed is much faster. That kind of athleticism makes it virtually impossible for most defenders to match up with. Linebackers may have the size but not the speed. Defensive backs often have the speed but not the size.

Loveland has a strong upper body for his size, making him tough to handle on the line of scrimmage or when running routes. That makes him a matchup problem of epic proportions, something that modern tight ends like Sam LaPorta and TJ Hockenson present to defenses weekly.

Versatility Rare in Young Tight Ends

What made New England Patriots’ tight end Rob Gronkowski great is that he didn’t have to come off the field depending on the situation. He was an elite run blocker in addition to being one of the greatest receiving tight ends in NFL history.

Loveland has those same abilities. Though he isn’t the same kind of elite blocker that Gronkowski was, he is more than adequate. He has good hip movement and agility to go with good upper-body strength. That equates to solid blocking in run-heavy formations.

Why is that important? In addition to helping open up holes for his running backs, it gives the Bears flexibility offensively. They can sell certain packages as runs while using play-action to get Colston out into open spaces as a receiver.

Loveland can also line up anywhere on the line of scrimmage as a receiver. He has the speed and athleticism to split out wide, line up in the slot, or put his hand down in the dirt. There are maybe a handful of tight ends in the league that can do that and remain effective targets.

For a young offense with potentially explosive weapons, Loveland could potentially unlock it all. He is as dangerous a receiver as there is on the field, making him someone the defense has to account for on a regular basis. That opens up opportunities for other weapons like Rome Odunze, DJ Moore, and D’Andre Swift.

Developing into a Complete Tight End

Loveland has all the tools needed to have an impact like Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders immediately. What will help make that a reality is developing his route tree, first and foremost. Sharpening his cuts and becoming more versatile in terms of his routes will make him tougher to track for defenders.

His ability to find soft spots in the defense will be an asset, especially as he learns the offense and how to read NFL defenses. With Caleb Williams at a crucial point in his development, Loveland’s progression will be imperative for Williams taking the next step.

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The Bears Got a Major Weapon

From everything that we have seen so far, it seems that the Bears got a major offensive piece at 10th overall. He is a high-level athlete with great size, tremendous hands, the ability to sit in the soft spots of a defense, and strong enough blocking to not have to come off the field.

All of that equates to a versatile weapon for the Bears. He could be in the running for Offensive Rookie of the Year and develop into an All-Pro tight end and gamechanger sooner rather than later.