After headlining last year’s NFL Draft with the No. 1 pick overall, the Chicago Bears were in a position to make several useful moves that could result in notable positional upgrades during the 2025 season.
The Bears had the No. 10 pick in the first round and used it to select Michigan tight end Colston Loveland. The selection has been met with a somewhat mixed reaction. Chicago already has a solid tight end in Cole Kmet, so the selection of Loveland is questionable. Loveland was a dynamic player for the Wolverines when they captured the national championship in the 2023 season, but injuries impacted his production last season.
Loveland is clearly a tight end who can run effective pass patterns and use his athletic ability to get the best of nearly every linebacker or safety. That means he can be used on medium- and long-range pass patterns. However, when it comes to blocking at the line of scrimmage, Loveland may be something of a liability.
Loveland is 6-6 and 246 pounds and can be a decent downfield blocker, but when it comes to facing talented edge rushers, he is in over his head. He does not have the base to sustain his blocks and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams could get punished as a result.
He certainly has the skill to be a big-play maker, but he is not an all-around tight end.
Bears general manager brings in a key second-round wideout
However, second-round choice Luther Burden of Missouri could turn out to be the perfect pick for the 2025 Bears.
A season ago, the Bears thought they had the wide receiver crew that would allow Williams to dominate. The top two receivers were D.J. Moore and rookie Rome Odunze, but Keenan Allen never really fit in the scheme or developed significant chemistry with the Bears rookie quarterback.
However, Bears general manager Ryan Poles believes Burden should be a different story. He excelled as a slot receiver for the Tigers. Burden will give the Bears a No. 3 receiver with tremendous run after the catch skills. He has both the burst to run away from tacklers and the strength to run through them. This means he should be able to take a short pass and break some notable big plays.
Burden has some notable strengths that the Bears will try to take advantage of next season. He has excellent change of direction after catching the ball and can get away from tacklers. Going hand in hand with that skill is his ability to stop on a dime and make tacklers miss.
When the ball is in the air, he can track a ball that is thrown directly over his head, and that’s a skill that few second-round receivers can claim. He will also fight hard for the ball when he is contacted by defenders. He is extremely dependable and did not miss a game in his college career.
Burden must improve in some areas
Burden does have some work to do in training camp. While he has plenty of speed for 6-0, 206-pound receiver, there are some issues with his route running. One of the most notable aspects in that area is that he will run with an upright frame when leaving the line of scrimmage and that makes him a target for opposing defensive backs.
Burden is a decent blocker, but he is not outstanding at this point. It does not appear that he is overly interested in that part of the game, so he will have to be “coached up” significantly so that he knows that winning and losing could be the result of his blocking.
The Bears had two other second-round picks in Boston College offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo and Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner. Trapilo looks like he will be able to contribute as a rookie in the Bears’ offensive line rotations.
Chicago selected an underrated cornerback in Zah Frazier from UTSA in the fifth round, while their last two picks were Michigan State offensive guard Luke Newman and Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai.
Newman and Monangai have surprising skills and have a chance to make the Bears’ Week 1 roster. However, it’s Burden who appears to be the perfect pick for the team
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