Colston Loveland Highlights Bears 2025 Draft Class

Good morning Chicago fans! The NFL Draft is always a blast. Every mock draft is ripped up, every fan gets angry and then hopeful, and then we all convince ourselves we’re going to the Super Bowl. It was quite the spectacle in Green Bay this week, but I’m genuinely excited about the new Bears:

CHICAGO CUBS

W - Cubs 11, Dodgers 10 (F/10)

Another game for the ages at Wrigley!

• A 7-5 Cubs lead disappeared after Gage Workman misplayed a grounder at 3rd and the Dodgers took advantage with a 5-run 7th inning

• Kyle Tucker hit ANOTHER late-inning 2-R HR, Miguel Amaya hit a game-tying HR off Tanner Scott, and Ian Happ hit a walk-off single in the 10th

W - Cubs 7, Dodgers 6

Two game sweep!! 🧹

• Matthew Boyd is actually human and got roughed up (6.0 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 1 BB, 4 K)

• Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to own the Dodgers (3-for-4, HR, 4 RBI)

W - Cubs 4, Phillies 0

Colin Rea for Cy Young!

• Rea was filthy in 5 innings of work (0 ER, 7 K)

• Bullpen combined for 4 innings of 2-hit, scoreless baseball

• Offense had a balanced attack despite hitting 4-for-22 with RISP - 8 of 9 starters had at least 1 hit

L - Phillies 10, Cubs 4

What could have Ben

• Ben Brown was cruising through 3 innings and then got blown up in the 4th for 6 runs after a few unlucky grounders started a rally

• Almost-a-Cub Jesus Luzardo shut them down (6.0 IP, 2 R, 5 K)

L - Phillies 3, Cubs 1 (F/10)

Sunday Night Baseball pitchers’ duel

• Jameson Taillon and Aaron Nola each threw 7 innings of 1-run ball

• Nick Castellanos was a couple feet away from a big 2-R HR in the top of the 9th

• Cubs only managed 3 hits and 1 walk

Star of the Week ⭐ Pete Crow-Armstrong

8-for-19 (.421 AVG), 2 HRs, 9 RBI, 4 SB

Play of the Week 🎥 Ian Happ walk-off single

Acquired LHP Drew Pomeranz from the Seattle Mariners for cash considerations

• Starter-turned-reliever who hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2021

• Dominated for Craig Counsell’s 2019 Brewers team: 26.1 IP, 2.39 ERA, 0.911 WHIP, 15.4 K/9 🔥

Signed IF Nicky Lopez to a 1-year contract, signed RHP Michael Fulmer to a minor-league contract

Javier Assad reaggravated his oblique injury during his rehab stint at Iowa and has no timetable for a return

DFA’d 3B Gage Workman and traded him to the White Sox for cash considerations

Recalled LHP Tom Cosgrove, optioned Jordan Wicks and Ethan Roberts to AAA

The Cubs scored 10+ runs in 7 of their first 25 games for the first time since 1895

First team in MLB history to hit 35+ HRs and steal 35+ bases in the first 25 games of the season

SCHEDULE 📅 T/W/TH/F/SAT/SUN

CHICAGO BEARS

OFFSEASON

NFL DRAFT

Round 1, Pick 10: Colston Loveland (TE, Michigan)

Round 2, Pick 39: Luther Burden III (WR, Missouri)

Round 2, Pick 56: Ozzy Trapilo (OT, Boston College)

Round 2, Pick 62: Shemar Turner (DT, Texas A&M)

Round 4, Pick 132: Ruben Hyppolite II (LB, Maryland)

Round 5, Pick 169: Zah Frazier (CB, UTSA)

Round 6, Pick 195: Luke Newman (OL, Michigan State)

Round 7, Pick 233: Kyle Monangai (RB, Rutgers)

Ryan Poles orchestrated a few trades to go from 7 draft picks to 8, pick up a 2026 4th-round pick from the Rams to recoup the pick sent away for Joe Thuney, and to jump around the board to more desired spots.

Tight end was a common expectation at #10 based on recent reporting and mock drafts. I even thought it was the most likely 1st round outcome for the Bears on Draft Day:

I think an elite talent at DL/OL would have been ideal. Tight ends are not a prototypical find this early in the draft. But with Abdul Carter (DE), Mason Graham (DT), Ashton Jeanty (RB), and THREE OTs off the board, grabbing the top TE was reasonable.

Not drafting Tyler Warren as the top TE was the more interesting decision as experts were fairly split on who was the best prospect. Let’s dive into each player the Bears acquired:

Colston Loveland (TE, Michigan)

A 21-year old Move TE who will complement Cole Kmet in Ben Johnson’s offense. Loveland went from small-town Gooding, Idaho to the University of Michigan after Jim Harbaugh came to his house for an overnight recruiting visit.

He’s an impressive route runner who can be a weapon in the passing game. He has the speed to stretch the field and the hands to be a safety net on 3rd down. His blocking abilities improved over the years at Michigan, and he plays with the tenacity the Bears are looking for.

The other two tight ends the Bears have selected in the 1st round? Greg Olsen and Mike Ditka.

Luther Burden III (WR, Missouri)

He was seen as the top WR in the draft by some, and he believed so strongly that he should have been a 1st round pick that he went out for a midnight workout after Day 1 to clear his mind.

A 1,212 yard season in 2023 was his best, and he caught 21 touchdowns in 3 seasons. Burden is fast and excels with the ball in his hands. He even draws comparisons to fellow Bear DJ Moore and his YAC (yards after the catch) talent.

The Bears stuck to their board in drafting the best available player, and I have to say, a WR room of Burden/Odunze/Moore will be electric. All 3 should be here for at least 4 years, so the front office may have the luxury of not really worrying about the WR position for a while.

Ozzy Trapilo (OT, Boston College)

Ryan Poles got his Boston College guy! And his guy is a MASSIVE human being - 6’8”, 315 lbs.

He started 2 seasons at LT and then 2 seasons at RT. He prides himself on being technically sound: ZERO penalties in 2024 and a total of only FIVE penalties in 3 full collegiate seasons. I expect he’ll compete for the swing tackle roster spot at the very least.

Trapilo is Ryan Poles’ ode to Boston College and Ian Cunningham’s ode to his former boss Ozzie Newsome.

Shemar Turner (DT, Texas A&M)

If you wanted violence, some nasty, and relentlessness added to the Bears defense, this is your guy. He needs to tone down the penalties when he arrives in the NFL, but he plays with an extremely high motor.

Turner played significant snaps at every D-Line position and should make an impact from the jump.

Ruben Hyppolite II (LB, Maryland)

4.42s speed at the linebacker position was a big factor in his selection. His college production doesn’t jump off the page, so this is the Bears’ one reach in the draft. If he can put it all together, the athletic traits and instincts are there to turn him into a really fun player in a city that loves their linebackers.

Zah Frazier (CB, UTSA)

DB coach Al Harris texted Ryan Poles in February about drafting Frazier.

He is a 4.36s (!) 6’3” athletic outside corner with only 1 year of starting experience. In that year, he came down with an impressive 6 INTs and had 9 PBUs.

Luke Newman (OL, Michigan State)

Newman is an tough, agile guard who also showed the ability to play center. He brings much needed depth to the reshaped interior offensive line.

Kyle Monangai (RB, Rutgers)

In a draft where most people expected the Bears to select a running back early on, their only choice came in the 7th round. Monangai runs hard, runs through people, and is the tough-nosed back the Bears haven’t had since David Montgomery left town. Oh, and he had ZERO fumbles in his collegiate career.

Bears legend Steve McMichael passed away on Wednesday after his battle with ALS

Luther Burden was the last piece of the 2023 #1 pick trade:

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

OFFSEASON

David Carle withdrew his name from the Blackhawks coaching search 😢

Will he pursue other NHL opportunities? Did the Blackhawks handle the conversation incorrectly? Who will the Blackhawks turn to next as they had apparently circled Carle as their favorite?

Alex Vlasic AND Frank Nazar will compete for Team USA in the World Championships. Assistant coach Kevin Dean will be on the coaching staff.

Rockford IceHogs won their 1st round playoff series and advanced in the playoffs!

CHICAGO BULLS

OFFSEASON

Lost the tiebreaker with the Mavericks for draft positioning and will have the 12th best odds in the NBA Draft Lottery. They have an 8% chance of moving into the Top 4 and a 1.7% chance to get the 1st pick.

Their last 1.7% chance? Derrick Rose 🌹

SAY WHAT?

A CITYWIDE SALUTE

Rome Odunze and TJ Edwards

Winners of the 2024 Brian Piccolo Award! Edwards won the award for the second consecutive year.

Read about the award presentation and their contributions on and off the field here:

MILD TAKE

The Bears didn’t have to draft for need.

Heading into the draft, I thought the Bears had 3 open “starting” spots on their roster:

RB (assuming Ben Johnson didn’t want D’Andre Swift to be a 3-down back)

TE2 (knowing Ben Johnson uses 12 personnel and wants a pass-catching TE to complement Cole Kmet)

DE (assuming Dayo Odeyingbo will rotate inside and out regularly)

Only 3 spots for an entire 22-man starting lineup is impressive for a franchise that won 5 games last year. Their free agency overhaul helped out a ton, and their underachievement under poor coaching also clouds the level of talent on the roster.

The Luther Burden pick may get criticized because fans wanted a DE, RB, or even LT early in the 2nd round instead of a WR when they have 2 elite WRs under contract for a long time. Well, they did end up drafting a tackle and a running back later on, and Burden was clearly a 1st round talent.

Drafting lesser players will kill your roster if that plays out over a number of years.

Like I said, I wanted the top DE, DT, or LT in the 1st round. But the draft is unpredictable, and Ryan Poles can only control the selections of 1 team. So he drafted best available at #10 who also happened to fit a team need.

A tight end and wide receiver for a team fully loaded with offensive weapons? Sure, why not? Everything hinges on Ben Johnson’s plan as the head coach anyways.

HITTING THE LINKS

Nate Tice - 2025 NFL Draft: Is Tyler Warren or Colston Loveland TE1? Breaking down 2 fun prospects at a challenging position (Yahoo Sports)

Jon Greenberg - New Bears coaches Al Harris, Antwaan Randle El and Eric Bieniemy bring winning mentality (The Athletic)

Jesse Rogers - How bottom of order is powering Cubs' offense to top of MLB (ESPN)

Dan Pompei - Bears Hall of Famer Steve McMichael was a ‘wild child’ who loved football — and life (The Athletic)

Chicago Blackhawks - Every Shift Season 3 Episode 6 (YouTube)

TWO MINUTE WARNING

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Thanks for reading! Have a great week, and feel free to start those 2026 mock drafts!