Colston Loveland Rated Top-10 Tight End After Rookie Breakout

Rankings from league evaluators together with praise from Chicago coaches show why he is poised for an expanded role with more targets in the Bears' 2026 offense.

Overview

An ESPN poll of NFL executives, coaches and scouts published in mid-July placed Loveland at No. 7 among tight ends, reflecting growing league-wide recognition of his play.
As a 2025 rookie he led the Bears with 58 receptions and 713 receiving yards in the regular season and added 12 catches for 193 yards in two playoff games.
His 137-yard receiving game in the Wild Card win set a Bears rookie/tight end single-game playoff mark and his 193 postseason yards set an NFL rookie tight end playoff record.
Bears coach Ben Johnson has praised Loveland’s professionalism and consistency, and evaluators highlight his ability to line up multiple ways as a key reason he could see more targets and two- and three–tight-end looks in 2026.
Loveland’s youth, positional versatility and late-season surge place him at the center of a broader NFL trend that prizes multi-role tight ends and could alter Chicago’s playcalling with Caleb Williams under center.