Ben Johnson believes Colston Loveland will 'rise up to the occasion' for the Bears

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) Bears head coach Ben Johnson understands the comparisons between new Chicago tight end Colston Loveland, the No. 10 overall pick in this NFL Draft on Thursday, and Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta.

Johnson recognized that throughout the evaluation process of Loveland the player and person. He saw similarities to LaPorta, whom he coached in Detroit the past two seasons.

"It starts with the person more so than the player,” Johnson said Saturday at Halas Hall after the NFL Draft concluded. “And I love the tape. I love everything about the tape. But when you get to know him as a man, it really is intriguing. It’s who we want to be going forward in my opinion. He stands for high football character, IQ, intelligence, but he’s a great teammate. When we went to the University of Michigan, everybody was raving about him.

“You could tell that he was so well-respected. His story is a little bit unique. Coming from small town Idaho and going to the big stage like he did, he didn’t bat an eye. I do see a lot of comparisons to LaPorta. But that’s not just on the field. That’s off the field as well. Because with LaPorta, the stage was never too big or too bright. I felt that same thing with Colston the first time I met him. He doesn’t bat an eye. He performs at a high level.

“As we talk about where we’re going as an organization – and we’re going to be playing in these big games with the bright lights – we need guys that are going to rise up to the occasion, and he’s going to do that for us.”

Loveland, 21, was a two-time All-Big Ten selection at Michigan and a second-team All-American in 2024. He hauled in 56 receptions for 582 yards and five touchdowns last season.

Loveland caught 11 touchdown passes over three seasons for the Wolverines and played a key part in helping Michigan win the national championship in the 2023 season.

In landing in Chicago, the 6-foot-6, 248-pound Loveland projects to play a key role in Johnson’s offense. Loveland will join a tight end group led by veteran Cole Kmet. Johnson is expected to prioritize using two-tight end sets in his scheme.

Loveland spoke highly of Johnson from watching his offenses in Detroit. He was eager to join him now in Chicago.

“Just love the guy,” Loveland said of Johnson. “Before I even met him, just watching Detroit last year, the things they were doing — man, really smart, knows what he’s doing, knows football.

“I’m the No. 1 fan of that guy, for sure. He’s legit. He’s a stud. I can’t wait to be on to that. I know he’s going to put us in a great position, put Chicago in great position to win games. I’m super excited for it.

“Coach Johnson’s like, ‘Yeah, you remind me a lot of LaPorta. We can do a lot of things – obviously, we did a lot of things with LaPorta.’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah, I can see you doing a lot of those things, as well.’ That was pretty cool to hear.

“Now seeing it all come full circle, I’m excited. I know he’s great, and he's going to do great for Chicago.”

Loveland was the first selection in the Bears' eight-man draft class, which featured five offensive players for Johnson to utilize.

This marked the fourth draft that Bears general manager Ryan Poles has led in Chicago, though it was his first with Johnson at his side as head coach. They feel that this Bears roster got stronger with a productive offseason.

“There is no depth chart right now,” Johnson said. “If you want to play, you got to go earn it. If you want a role, you got to go earn it. They know that. So, we were very straightforward and honest with them when they came in the building.

“All we did this weekend was we might’ve just turned up the notch just a couple of dials for certain people in the building. That’s a good thing. That’s a healthy thing. That’s where you bring out the best, not only in your team but in each individual.”

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.

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