'Favorite pick': Experts and fans react to Chicago Bears surprising first-round pick

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles promised the NFL Draft would get “a little wild.”

He wasn’t wrong.

The Bears pulled off a surprise Thursday night, selecting 6-foot-6, 248-pound Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. He finished his career with 117 catches for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 12.5 yards per reception. The move gives new coach Ben Johnson a fresh weapon for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams.

“Loveland’s mix of size and athleticism fit better in the NFL than in college,” wrote Alyssa Barbieri of Bears Wire. “He’s an experienced route runner who can create mismatches against defenses.”

NFL experts and fans had opinions about the Bears’ big and athletic first-round selection. We look a spin around social media for reactions:

‘My favorite pick of the draft’

ESPN analyst Peter Schrager said an offensive coordinator of an NFL team picking in the 20s was “freaking out at the chance to get Loveland.”

“I said, nah, dude, I said today … he’s gonna go top 10,” Schrager said. “Tweet me out or whatever. My favorite pick of the draft so far is Colston Loveland.

“That offense. That coordinator. That quarterback, and also to have Rome Odunze on one side … I love this. DJ Moore. Loveland could be one of those breakout rookie tight ends we get every so often.”

Underdog’s Hayden Winks also was effusive with praise for Loveland, calling him the true TE1 and a “super star in the making,” while sharing a 14-minute highlight video filled to the brim with athletic plays.

What about Tyler Warren?

Many fans and pundits thought the Bears might draft a tight end with the No. 10 pick — but the consensus was they would select Penn State’s Tyler Warren.

Bears Wire writer Vincent Parise called the pick an “instant head-scratcher, but not because of Loveland’s talent,” while giving Chicago a B-minus for the selection.

2025 NFL Draft: Here’s a list of the Chicago Bears draft picks

“Selecting him over Tyler Warren is the first question, the second question becomes the future of Cole Kmet,” Parise wrote. “For now, the Bears have two very big receiving threats at the tight end position, and the grade is reflective of not only taking Loveland over Warren, but after the top linemen and running backs were off the board, Chicago took who they believed was a great receiving weapon.”

What about Cole Kmet?

The Bears spent a second-round draft pick in 2020 to pick up Cole Kmet, who has been steady in his five seasons in Chicago. Some fans playfully shared what the tight end might be thinking on draft night.

All might not be lost, given a stat shared by Dave Kluge of Football Guys, who says the Detroit Lions (run by new Bears coach Ben Johnson) ran nearly one third of their plays out of the so-called “12 personnel” with two tight ends — third-highest in the NFL.

“They did that with Brock Wright as their TE2,” Kluge wrote. “Expect the Bears (with Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet) to live in 12 personnel this year.”

Quickest personalized jersey in all of Idaho

KMVT-TV sports director Kole Emplit was live from a draft party in Loveland’s hometown of Gooding, Idaho, which burst into celebration when the hometown boy was picked. The Idaho Statesman says he is the first Idaho product picked in the first round since 2018, when Boise State’s Leighton Vander Esch went to the Dallas Cowboys.

Soon after, someone in the crowd already had a Bears jersey with No. 18 and “LOVELAND” across the back. Although we’re not sure what current No. 18 Caleb Williams will have to say about that.

“This may be the first Colston Loveland Bears jersey you’ve ever seen!” Emplit wrote. “Dudes rock!”

Nick Saban seal of approval

Former Alabama coach Nick Saban knows ball. So when he has positive things to say about your draft pick, you better believe it.

“ Another one of the recruits that we lost, but anyway, beat us in the playoffs,” Saban said via on3.com. “But this guy is a fantastic athlete. He’s the best receiver of all the tight ends in the draft, in my opinion, because his athletic ability and his ability to separate at the top of the route and beat man-to-man coverage. He has natural hands, long arms, which gives him a big catch radius.”

Wait until be hears about the Packers

Plenty of clips of Loveland’s plays circulated around the web on Thursday night, but an interview of his after a rivalry game also made the rounds.

Last October, Michigan beat Michigan State at home, 24-17, and the Wolverines were kneeling down to run out the clock. After the play, MSU defensive lineman Anthony Jones and Loveland scuffled, which brought both teams to midfield as time expired.

Draft history: The Chicago Bears have made 98 first-round picks in NFL Draft since 1936. Here’s the list

After the game, Loveland seemed to relish in the rivalry.

“Lil’ bro stay doing lil’ bro things,” Loveland said with a smirk. “MSU the little bro. They can do whatever they want. We knew it was going to get chippy, but everything within the confines of the game, we do right.

“After it, they wanna get busy, we’ll get busy.”

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 2025 NFL Draft: Social media reactions to Chicago Bears first-round pick

‘Favorite pick’: Experts and fans react to Chicago Bears surprising first-round pick

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