Michigan TE Colston Loveland jumps up post-NFL combine mock drafts..
Michigan tight end Colston Loveland may have shown up to the NFL Scouting Combine in a sling, but he seems to have departed Indianapolis a winner.
Two new post-combine mock drafts released Tuesday by ESPN and The Athletic have Loveland jumping up the boards, to the Indianapolis Colts at No. 14.
Jordan Reid of ESPN points out that the Colts are in need of a tight end with Mo-Allie Cox set to become a free agent, touting Loveland as a “glorified big receiver who transitions in and out of breaks with ease while showing excellent hands.”
In Reid’s previous mock draft, published in January, Loveland was going to the Los Angeles Rams at No. 22.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic admits that linking the Colts to a tight end “is far from original, but it makes a lot of sense. Loveland has the pass-catching athleticism that will make him an immediate asset for whoever is playing quarterback in Indianapolis next season.”
Of note here, Loveland isn’t the only tight end with a first-round grade who saw his stock rise after the combine. Penn State’s Tyler Warren, the Big Ten tight end of the year, has gone from being mocked to the Colts at No. 14 to the New Orleans Saints at No. 9, pushing his ceiling into the top 10.
In fact, a companion article penned by Brugler and The Athletic’s James Boyd on Tuesday said the gap between the two in the eyes of NFL scouts is closer than many think. “A few people I spoke with didn’t think there was any gap at all,” Boyd wrote.
Loveland will spend the next couple of months convincing teams he’s worth it. Turns out, the all-Big Ten tight end had surgery in January to repair and reconstruct the AC joint in his right shoulder, slowing his offseason training and preventing him from doing any physical activity at the combine.
His doctor says Loveland is expected to be fully healthy to participate in non-contact drills during April minicamp and be cleared for full contact in training camp.
Loveland, from Gooding, Idaho, was a star at Michigan. In three seasons in Ann Arbor, he caught 117 passes for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns. The 2024 season saw him lead the Wolverines in receptions (56) and receiving yards (582) despite missing three games due to injury.
