Breaking down every pick the Bears made this weekend:
Breaking down every pick the Bears made this weekend:
Round 1, No. 10
Colston Loveland
Michigan TE
6-6, 248 pounds
Age: 21
Background: Raised on his family’s farm in Gooding, Idaho (population 3,802), he was named the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year and later Michigan’s offensive rookie of the year. He was first-team all-conference in 2023 sand second-team last year. Loveland had surgery on the AC joint in his shoulder in January, which kept him from performing pre-draft drills. The Bears think he’ll be fine by training camp.
The stats: In 2023, he caught 45 passes for 649 yards and four touchdowns and led the Wolverines in receiving in the national title game. In 2024, he set a single-season Michigan record with 56 catches and totaled 582 receiving yards.
The skinny: Only two offensive coordinators used two tight ends more frequently last year than the Lions’ Ben Johnson. He’ll do much of the same this season. The Bears chose Loveland over Penn State tight end Tyler Warren. They think he’s a better fit alongside Cole Kmet. Loveland is a Y tight end who lines up more frequently off the line of scrimmage. He was used in the slot 48% percent of the time last year with the Wolverines and put at the line 33% of the time.
Round 2, No. 39
Luther Burden III
Missouri WR
6-0, 206 pounds
Age: 21
Background: Burden grew up in St. Louis and is the grandson of former NBA player Luther Burden. He was a two-sport star in high school, but focused on football and received more than 40 scholarship offers.
The stats: Burden’s 2023 season put him on the map as he caught 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns, but his production dipped last season. He managed just 676 yards and six touchdowns on 61 catches as Missouri finished 10th in the SEC in scoring.
The skinny: Burden joins a Bears roster crowded with skill talent, and at wide receiver they bring back DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. The good news for the Bears is that he’s versatile, and his ability to play slot receiver and wideout lends itself to coach Ben Johnson’s emphasis on deceptive formations.
Round 2, No. 56
Ozzy Trapilo
Boston College OT
6-8, 316 pounds
Age: 23
Background: Trapilo’s father Steve was a Boston College offensive lineman — he made a block on their famous Hail Mary — who became the Saints’ fourth-round pick. He played in the NFL for five years and died of a heart attack when Ozzy was 3.
