Colston Loveland | Michigan 6’6 / 248 lbs. April 9, 2004 (21)
Colston Loveland was drafted by the Cleveland Browns, becoming the 1st tight end and 10th overall player in the 2025 NFL Draft.
COLLEGE PRODUCTION
| Year | Games | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Target Share | Catch Rate | Receiving Touchdowns | Age | School |
| 2022 | 12 (TE) | 16 (27 tgts) | 235 (14.7 ypr) | 7.3% | 59.3% | 2 | 18 | Michigan |
| 2023 | 15 (TE) | 45 (66 tgts) | 649 (14.4 ypr) | 18.3% | 68.2% | 4 | 19 | Michigan |
| 2024 | 10 (TE) | 56 (86 tgts) | 582 (10.4 ypr) | 27.9% | 65.1% | 5 | 20 | Michigan |
Loveland has been a known name in Devy circles since joining Michigan as a freshman. His production as a 3-year starter is capped by some low passing volume, as Michigan has been historically dominant on the ground in recent years. Loveland’s efficiency metrics are still excellent; look no further than his 28% target share as a junior. Loveland’s production leaves a little to be desired, but reading between the lines a little leads you to more impressive peripherals, such as his 2.22 career YPRR, higher than McBride, Hockenson, and LaPorta as prospects. Overall, there’s reason to be optimistic about Loveland’s ability to earn targets despite his lack of explosive production in college.
FILM
Loveland is something of a film darling. He’s a strong, physical, athletic 6’6 and plays much larger than his weight indicates. Playing at Michigan, Loveland was able to develop significantly as a run blocker over his 3 seasons, in addition to being a natural, smooth receiver who suddenly sees red and seeks out contact immediately after the catch. Loveland is quick out of his breaks for a player of his size, and has an excellent understanding of his frame, making him a dangerous red zone threat and giving him a strong catch radius overall. Loveland reminds me of a plus-size, angered version of Dalton Kincaid, which essentially means Kincaid without his two biggest flaws. I am excited to see Loveland translate to the league, as TEs have some of the most difficult assignments in football and sometimes struggle to translate right away.
ATHLETIC TESTING
Colston Loveland did not participate in athletic testing at the combine or have a pro day due to a shoulder injury. He measured in at 6’6, 248 lbs at the Combine in Indianapolis.
DRAFT ANALYSIS
Rapid Reaction to Draft Capital: Excellent
Rapid Reaction to Landing Spot: Excellent
This is a dream scenario for Loveland, as most tight-ends selected in the top 10 are almost guaranteed to produce low-end TE1 numbers at some point in their career. This provides Loveland a safe floor but also opens the door to massive potential upside. Ben Johnson’s last top-10 selected skill player was Jahmyr Gibbs, who ended up being a dynamic weapon heavily featured in their offense from day one. This can reasonably be expected for Loveland as well, who received a similar level of investment and is Johnson’s first draft pick as a head coach.
Loveland is a pretty perfect scheme fit for Johnson’s offense, which heavily features 12 personnel (two tight ends) and involves tight ends in a dynamic way in the passing game, as seen with Sam LaPorta’s breakout over the last two years. Loveland can realistically be projected as potentially the 2nd or even 1st option in this offense, no worse than 3rd, and will at worst have a respectable target share with the potential for a major featured role.
FANTASY INSIGHTS
Loveland bursts onto the scene as my TE3 immediately after updating my rankings post-draft. This positions him only behind Brock Bowers and Trey McBride, who were the TE1 and TE2 in PPR this year. Loveland has immense upside, entering as a 21-year-old rookie with a massive draft capital investment and a clear path to targets. He is worth consideration as early as the 1.03, after Jeanty and Ward are selected first and second. Realistically, Loveland can be expected to post close to low-end TE1 numbers as a rookie, and if he’s able to elevate from that baseline even a little, he will likely rise in value. Loveland is an excellent investment, and his draft result bolsters his profile significantly, boosting the value of this mid-round range as well.
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