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Bears' rookies earn top rankings from ESPN

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Dec 4, 2025 8:47 AM ET

In the days following the 2025 NFL draft, fans and analysts alike showed little love for the Chicago Bears' rookie class. Colston Loveland, drafted tenth overall as the first tight end off the board, was seen as something of a reach (though it later came out that multiple teams were trying to trade up for the Michigan tight end). Additionally, waiting to draft a running back, which was the consensus biggest need for Chicago, until the seventh round was seen as a strategic failure.

But there's a reason why we wait to grade rookies until we've seen them play in NFL games. After thirteen weeks of the 2025 NFL season, the Bears' rookie class has been proving the fans wrong about GM Ryan Poles. Loveland, after missing most of training camp as he rehabbed an injury, is quickly blossoming into a centerpiece of Ben Johnson's electric offense. As for that seventh-round running back, former Rutgers Scarlet Knight Kyle Monangai, his NFL debut saw him rack up 176 rushing yards.

Now, this quantum leap in production for two rookies who struggled early is finally getting some recognition at the national level. ESPN recently published a list ranking the top 2025 NFL rookies, ten in total plus some honorable mentions. Loveland cracked the Top 10 at No. 9, and Monangai also received some votes.

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Bears rookies expected to make a splash in the playoffs

Additionally, NFL analyst Matt Bowen tabbed Loveland as the rookie most likely to make a big playoff contribution, a scenario that would have been considered unthinkable before the season began. Defending his choice, Bowen writes: "Loveland has emerged as a matchup target for Caleb Williams in Ben Johnson's offensive system... the rookie tight end can work the middle of the field on seams and in-breakers, plus Johnson will isolate Loveland in the red zone. This allows Loveland to use his foot quickness and frame to beat man coverage, which will be extremely important in the postseason."

That's high praise for the rookie tight end, but well-earned. Even before the season started, Loveland was earning comparisons to another rookie tight end who blossomed in a Ben Johnson offense, Sam LaPorta. One NFL exec even predicted that Loveland would be better than LaPorta, who earned a Pro Bowl nod as a rookie.

We still have a long way to go before we can say with confidence that these rookies have arrived in the NFL as star playmakers. They've been good over the past five or six weeks, but that does not an NFL career make. However, based on what we're seeing on the field, Bears fans are well within their rights to expect this rookie class to make a long-term impact on this historic franchise.