2025 Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Profile: Colston Loveland, TE Michigan
Rookie tight ends are all the rage in dynasty these days after Sam LaPorta and Brock Bowers both burst onto the scene in their first NFL seasons. This year, we have another deep TE class that NFL front offices seem to be in love with and it’s headlined by two potential first-round picks.
Colston Loveland is flying under the radar after an injury slowed him down in 2024, but he has the perfect skill set to exceed at the next level.
The Stats
Loveland was the 14th-rated tight end and the #1 overall player from the state of Idaho in the 2022 recruiting class. Throughout his college career, Loveland totaled 235 receptions for 3,139 yards and 35 touchdowns He chose Michigan over quite a few other former Pac-12 programs and SEC powerhouses.
Courtesy of Sports Reference.
He struggled to find the field as a freshman playing behind Luke Schoonmaker, but he really exploded in year two and helped the Wolverines on their way to a National Championship. His receiving numbers aren’t gaudy by any means, but that’s simply a product of Michigan’s run-first approach on offense. Loveland combined for 101 yards, 1,231 yards, and nine touchdowns over his final two seasons.
The Film
I love everything about Loveland’s film, and this video consistently demonstrates what he does well. He can easily play in the slot or out wide but he won’t be relegated to only the “move” tight end role because he’s also sufficient as an inline blocker in the run game.
The combination of Loveland’s size and movement ability makes him a matchup nightmare for smaller defenders. He’s never going to blow by a cornerback, but his feet are good enough to create a step of separation and that size makes it impossible for the defensive back to recover and make a play on the ball.
That size also helps him immensely in contested situations. Loveland is a menace over the middle of the field and fills the prototypical role of a safety blanket for a quarterback. He routinely wins on in-breaking routes which will be crucial for him to produce at the next level.
The Measurables
Unfortunately, Loveland didn’t participate in the NFL Combine due to a right shoulder injury that required surgery. He was seen around the event with his shoulder in a giant sling and was only able to measure, weigh in, and go through interviews.
Courtesy of NFL Prospects.
The NFL projects him with an athleticism score of 75 which would slot him as the ninth most athletic tight end in the class. That seems about right to me; Loveland’s biggest skill on the field isn’t his athleticism but rather his fluidity at his size. He’s 6’6” and 250 pounds but he moves like a receiver.
The Value
Courtesy of Mock Draft Database.
Loveland has one of the most concentrated projected mock draft positions I’ve ever seen. Since December, his projected pick has fluctuated between 17th and 23rd overall. At the moment, his two most common landing spots are Indianapolis at 14th and the Los Angeles Chargers at 22nd. Both teams are in desperate need of a tight end and this is about the range everyone expects Loveland to come off the board. There’s even a discussion for him to be the first tight end off the board before Penn State’s Tyler Warren.
The Dynasty Outlook
In superflex startup drafts, Colston Loveland has an ADP of 128th and is going as TE11. This is a massive discount on an almost guaranteed first-round draft pick who is skilled enough to be a major piece of a passing offense. There’s not a world where I’d take Dalton Kincaid over Loveland, especially not half a round earlier. He’s also undervalued going at pick 128; Rhamondre Stevenson, Keon Coleman, Jaylen Warren, and Rachaad White should not be going before Loveland. No one in their right mind would trade a first-round rookie pick for one of those players.
Courtesy of DLF February Superflex ADP.
I’m all in on Loveland and think he’s currently a value in both startup and rookie drafts. He’s guaranteed to go in the first round of the NFL draft and any team that takes him will do so because of their glaring need at the position. He’s an early declare, day-one NFL starter, and somehow going in the 13th round. I’ll be targeting Loveland heavily leading up to the NFL draft before his value inevitably rises.
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Rookie tight ends are all the rage in dynasty these days after Sam LaPorta and Brock Bowers both burst onto the scene in their first NFL seasons. This year, we have another deep TE class that NFL front offices seem to be in love with and it’s headlined by two potential first-round picks.
Colston Loveland is flying under the radar after an injury slowed him down in 2024, but he has the perfect skill set to exceed at the next level.
The Stats
Loveland was the 14th-rated tight end and the #1 overall player from the state of Idaho in the 2022 recruiting class. Throughout his college career, Loveland totaled 235 receptions for 3,139 yards and 35 touchdowns He chose Michigan over quite a few other former Pac-12 programs and SEC powerhouses.
Courtesy of Sports Reference.
He struggled to find the field as a freshman playing behind Luke Schoonmaker, but he really exploded in year two and helped the Wolverines on their way to a National Championship. His receiving numbers aren’t gaudy by any means, but that’s simply a product of Michigan’s run-first approach on offense. Loveland combined for 101 yards, 1,231 yards, and nine touchdowns over his final two seasons.
The Film
I love everything about Loveland’s film, and this video consistently demonstrates what he does well. He can easily play in the slot or out wide but he won’t be relegated to only the “move” tight end role because he’s also sufficient as an inline blocker in the run game.
The combination of Loveland’s size and movement ability makes him a matchup nightmare for smaller defenders. He’s never going to blow by a cornerback, but his feet are good enough to create a step of separation and that size makes it impossible for the defensive back to recover and make a play on the ball.
That size also helps him immensely in contested situations. Loveland is a menace over the middle of the field and fills the prototypical role of a safety blanket for a quarterback. He routinely wins on in-breaking routes which will be crucial for him to produce at the next level.
The Measurables
Unfortunately, Loveland didn’t participate in the NFL Combine due to a right shoulder injury that required surgery. He was seen around the event with his shoulder in a giant sling and was only able to measure, weigh in, and go through interviews.
Courtesy of NFL Prospects.
The NFL projects him with an athleticism score of 75 which would slot him as the ninth most athletic tight end in the class. That seems about right to me; Loveland’s biggest skill on the field isn’t his athleticism but rather his fluidity at his size. He’s 6’6” and 250 pounds but he moves like a receiver.
The Value
Courtesy of Mock Draft Database.
Loveland has one of the most concentrated projected mock draft positions I’ve ever seen. Since December, his projected pick has fluctuated between 17th and 23rd overall. At the moment, his two most common landing spots are Indianapolis at 14th and the Los Angeles Chargers at 22nd. Both teams are in desperate need of a tight end and this is about the range everyone expects Loveland to come off the board. There’s even a discussion for him to be the first tight end off the board before Penn State’s Tyler Warren.
The Dynasty Outlook
In superflex startup drafts, Colston Loveland has an ADP of 128th and is going as TE11. This is a massive discount on an almost guaranteed first-round draft pick who is skilled enough to be a major piece of a passing offense. There’s not a world where I’d take Dalton Kincaid over Loveland, especially not half a round earlier. He’s also undervalued going at pick 128; Rhamondre Stevenson, Keon Coleman, Jaylen Warren, and Rachaad White should not be going before Loveland. No one in their right mind would trade a first-round rookie pick for one of those players.
Courtesy of DLF February Superflex ADP.
I’m all in on Loveland and think he’s currently a value in both startup and rookie drafts. He’s guaranteed to go in the first round of the NFL draft and any team that takes him will do so because of their glaring need at the position. He’s an early declare, day-one NFL starter, and somehow going in the 13th round. I’ll be targeting Loveland heavily leading up to the NFL draft before his value inevitably rises.
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