Tyler Warren might not be the only tight end option the Chicago Bears could pursue in the first round of next week’s NFL draft.
The Ringer’s NFL insider Todd McShay hinted during his latest podcast episode that the Bears could have another versatile pass-catcher in mind in case the coveted Penn State product is gone by the time Chicago picks at No. 10 overall: Michigan’s Colston Loveland.
(Interestingly, Loveland was discussed as an option at No. 10 on our Bear Bones war room episode on Thursday night. Maybe McShay should put us on.)
The Wolverines product certainly put up worthy numbers during his college career—117 total catches for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns in three years—and is considered by some scouts to be the best tight end in the class over Warren.
For those who aren’t in love with the idea of a tight end at all at that spot, preferring to focus on edge or tackle instead (assuming Ashton Jeanty is gone by then), McShay had a strong message.
“Call me in October when your young quarterback who had all that trouble last year has a new coach that can cook up some schemes in the lab and utilize those tight ends. Now we are in 12-personnel, now we are a headache,” he said.
Therein lies the intrigue.
The concept of taking a tight end in top 10, despite the lack of historic payoff for high draft picks at the position, feels like a very Ben Johnson move.
You’ll remember the Detroit Lions drafted Iowa’s Sam LaPorta three off-seasons ago and swiftly transformed him into one of the league’s best tight ends under Johnson’s watch. The Lions’ ability to use LaPorta as a multidimensional chess piece was a huge factor in opening up the run game and freeing attention up from Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Now, imagine that happening here in Chicago with the likes of DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Cole Kmet already in place.
The other reason not to rule it out: the overall tenor of this draft.
While the Bears could certainly use edge and tackle help in this draft, the best players at those positions— Abdul Carter, Will Campbell, and Armand Membou—will almost certainly be gone by the time the Bears pick at ten. The drop-off at those positions after that is rather noticeable, meaning need shouldn’t supersede getting the best player available.
Plus, if the best player available happens to be a tight end, there’s a strong argument for nabbing one of them early because this year’s tight ends class is highly underwhelming.
Bottom line: don’t be mad if the Bears shoot for Warren first and potentially pivot to Loveland if this draft shakes out the way it’s expected to.
It might not be a sexy selection. But you already know Ben Johnson will know what to do with them