Colston Loveland NFL Draft Profile: College Stats, Scouting Report, and Top Comps

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The security blanket of a tight end is becoming priceless, which is we've seen as many go in the first round since 2017 (8) than the number who went from 2006 to 2016.

Tyler Warren seems entrenched into the first with an impact that lasted all the way through the College Football Playoff. However, another tight end, Colston Loveland, is ranked sixth overall on Daniel Jeremiah from NFL Network's board exiting the scouting combine.

Loveland's 2024 was far bumpier. Inconsistent Michigan Wolverines quarterback play and injuries kept his raw production far from stellar. Does that mean Jeremiah is overvaluing him on tape, or are his traits enough to be a slam-dunk pick in the first round to a team that needs a tight end?

Note: All stats and rankings come via Pro Football Focus (PFF) and PlayerProfiler.com.

Colston Loveland NFL Draft Key Information

College: Michigan

Age: 20.9

Height: 6'6"

Weight: 248

40-Yard Dash: N/A

Vertical Leap: N/A

Bench Press: N/A

Broad Jump: N/A

3-Cone: N/A

Shuttle: N/A

Size-Adjusted Speed: N/A

Games Played: 39

2024 Receptions: 56

2024 Targets: 82

2024 Receiving Yards: 582

2024 Receiving Touchdowns: 5

Colston Loveland Top Comparables

Colston Loveland Scouting Report

Strengths

Good acceleration out of routes on or off the line of scrimmage
Natural hands with a gigantic catch radius thanks to his frame
Willing to absorb contact and tough to bring down
Good understanding of zone coverage and how to sit down for his quarterback to target

Weaknesses

Fails to separate in any substantial way vertically
Poor contested catch metrics also show up on tape as an ability to jar the football away
Largely overwhelmed by larger, stronger defenders in the run game in college
Skipped the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine despite a poor 2024, resigning himself to the TE2 in the class

When I watched T.J. Hockenson or Kyle Pitts in their draft classes, it took seconds to see a special, unique player at the position. Tyler Warren was a bit of the same.

It was almost stunning to see how underwhelming someone that Jeremiah, who I deeply respect, ranks in the top 10 plays -- and it unfortunately translates to the stat sheet. While his yards per route run (2.67 YPRR) were stellar, it was probably just masking the truth with sample size.

Michigan's offensive woes can only be so much of an excuse. Sam LaPorta and Michael Mayer came from two of FBS' worst passing offenses and were able to translate their target shares of at least 30.0% to at least 650 receiving yards. Loveland (649 in 2023 with J.J. McCarthy) never broke that barrier, and it's not like UM is pumping out NFL receiving talent.

There's very little "bust" potential with him. He's got the size and polish to get what's there immediately in the NFL, but he struggles to separate down the field or in contested-catch situations. That is seen in a 13th-percentile college yards per catch (10.4) and 20.0% contested catch rate.

Then, I expected a dominant run-blocker as to how he closes the gap on Warren, and a 50.1 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus (PFF) isn't that. He's just not comfortable with a low center of gravity and got moved by Big Ten defensive athletes.

My comparison for Loveland has been Dalton Schultz for a bit as a lanky, serviceable tight end who isn't a true difference-maker. Even the high-end comp from most, LaPorta, vanished into the background in 2024, but he's a substantially better downfield athlete and blocker.

The case for Loveland over an undersized Harold Fannin Jr. (6'3") is built on Fannin's poor level of competition, but there's no environment in FBS where Loveland posts 117 catches for 1,555 receiving yards in 13 games like he did. He's my TE3 and 56th-ranked player overall. I don't see a Day 1 talent.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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