For months, scouts and experts had the Chicago Bears taking a tight end in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The class was absolutely stacked at the position, and Tyler Warren looked like a safe bet as a top-ten selection.
That's why it was rather surprising when they chose to take Michigan star Colston Loveland instead. While Loveland was also projected to be a first-round pick, Warren was the consensus best prospect in a promising class.
Fast forward to today, and it seems like the Bears might already be regretting their decision. Granted, they haven't necessarily put him in a position to succeed either, but the early comparisons aren't flattering.
Tyler Warren Is Looking Like a Star
Warren, who fell to the Indianapolis Colts at No. 14, has already hauled in 11 receptions for 155 receiving yards in his first two career starts. Loveland, on the other hand, has logged two catches for 12 yards.
When asked about their decision to take Loveland over Warren, Bears senior director of player personnel Jeff King said that it was all because of the former's fit on Ben Johnson's offense.
He was projected to be Coach Johnson's new version of Sam LaPorta, a big-bodied pass-catcher and perennial big-play threat on the open field. Instead, he's been a little more than a decoy and a blocker.
Bears Aren't Even Looking at Colston Loveland
Loveland played just 53 percent of the snaps in the loss to the Detroit Lions. Notably, it's not like Cole Kmet is getting heavily involved in the passing game, so there's no room for the rookie, as he's only had three receptions for 60 total yards through the first two games of the season.
The rookie out of Michigan wasn't even targeted in the game. The Bears were trailing from start to finish, yet they clearly didn't trust him to make an impact, even though they had to run a pass-heavy offense to play catch-up with the Lions' scoring.
Warren, on the other hand, turned four catches into a team-best 79 receiving yards, and he was second on the team with seven targets. That's the type of usage the Bears need to give their rookie.
It's still way too early to tell, and, to be fair, the team has much bigger issues than him. But it's hard to justify taking a playmaking tight end so high in the NFL Draft if they didn't intend to use him.