CHICAGO -- The 2025 NFL draft (8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC, ESPN App) began Thursday and is being held in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Chicago Bears are scheduled to make seven of the draft's 257 picks, beginning with the No. 10 selection of the first round, which they used on Michigan tight end Colston Loveland.
Analysis of every pick | Updated depth chart
Round 1: No. 10 overall Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan
My take: The Bears got their tight end, just not the one many were expecting to be the first taken at the position. Chicago went with Loveland over Penn State's Tyler Warren because the "alignment" from coaching -- Loveland and Bears tight ends coach Jim Dray both played for Jim Harbaugh in college -- to scouting "was the best fit for us," senior director of player personnel Jeff King said. Ben Johnson's offenses run a lot of 12 personnel (1 RB, 2 WR, 2 TE), so adding a tight end with a top-10 pick foreshadows significant usage for Loveland as a playmaker in the passing game.
Will he start as a rookie? Loveland said Johnson compared him to Detroit's Sam LaPorta and can see the former Michigan tight end doing a lot of the same in the Bears' offense. LaPorta played the seventh-most snaps on the Lions' offense (over 83%) and scored 10 touchdowns as a rookie, so that points to Loveland being on the field a lot this season. And the Bears want to make clear that the addition of Loveland doesn't mean they're eyeing less from veteran tight end Cole Kmet. Chicago was intrigued by the mismatches it can create with its two tight ends and the creativity this will allow Johnson to tap into when designing plays.
Wild-card category: The 21-year-old had surgery in January to repair the AC joint in his right shoulder after sustaining the injury in September 2024. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal Elattrache, who operated on Loveland, sent a letter to all 32 teams ahead of the draft informing them that the tight end should be cleared by training camp. King expressed a similar sentiment and said the team feels good about where Loveland is in his rehabilitation process. "Obviously we're not going to risk anything here early, but we should be good to go by training camp," King said.
What's next: Chicago enters Day 2 with picks at Nos. 39 and 41 in the second round and No. 72 in the third. Three offensive tackles were off the board by the time the Bears got on the clock at No. 10, so Friday could present several options for the team as it looks to add depth along the offensive line, namely at left tackle. Additionally, keep an eye on when the run on running backs starts.
Remaining picks
Round 2: No. 39 (from Carolina)
Round 2: No. 41
Round 3: No. 72
Round 5: No. 148
Round 7: No. 233 (from Cincinnati)
Round 7: No. 240 (from Minnesota through Cleveland)