Colston Loveland is The Epitome of Mediocrity

First Round Mock’s NFL Draft Analyst Rajvir Bal has evaluated Michigan tight end Colton Loveland and he has walked away unimpressed.

With the departure of Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Head Coach Jim Harbaugh from Ann Arbor, a new era of Michigan Football is upon us, and the man expected to shoulder the load for the upcoming season is Wolverine’s Tight End Colston Loveland.

The hype started early.

Various mainstream draft platforms have continuously mocked Loveland in the first round.

The Draft Network, Draftwire, CBS, NBC Sports Chicago, Bleacher Report, 33rd Team, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic, and the San Diego Union Tribune have all graded him in the first round (nflmockdraftdatbase.com).

I will review the game film to see if he warrants such a high projection in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Background

Loveland was a 4-star recruit out of high school. He committed to Michigan in July of 2021 (per 247Sports).

How has he performed?

Here’s a look at his production leading up to the 2024 season.

2022:

14 games, 16 receptions, 235 yards, 2 Touchdowns

2023: 

15 games, 45 receptions, 649 yards, 4 Touchdowns

This Wolverines prospect is in the 63rd percentile for height and 24th percentile for weight (per NFLDraftBuzz.com)

#18 Colston Loveland 6-foot-5, 245 pounds 
Rajvir Bal’s 2025 NFL Draft Grade: Early Fifth-Round (I would select him)
Projected by 74.5% of the NFL Draft Community to be a first-round pick as of September 10, 2024 (nflmockdraftdatabase.com)

2023 game film reviewed: Rutgers, Washington, Alabama, Indiana, and Penn State (click to view games watched to form this evaluation)

2025 NFL Draft Scouting Report

The Good

He is versatile, which I will give him credit for. When watching the film I saw him line up out wide, on the line, and in the backfield. This is a valuable asset for a tight end, and I think there would be some merit as a fullback.

The Bad

His game film nearly made me fall asleep. In my opinion, he is simply a non-factor in college football. While there is nothing on the film that screams, “He’s terrible,” it all seems boringly subpar. Weight is a concern. He looked like a ragdoll when trying to block and he only seemed to get open on plays that were schemed for him. The film was clear: Loveland was at best the sixth-best player on Michigan’s offense (J.J McCarthy, Blake Corum, Roman Wilson, Donovan Edwards, and Zak Zinter would be the others). In my opinion, for a tight end to be drafted highly, they have to be a game changer. This prospect is not that. He fails to get separation on downfield plays. Underwhelming.

Final Thoughts For Now

He should not sniff the first four rounds.

Colston Loveland will be a first-round bust waiting to happen if he ends up going that high in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Rajvir Bal is a high school student from the Virginia area. He grew up a rabid Washington Redskins fan, attending more than 30 games, and has enjoyed the team’s high points and low points throughout his life. He plays varsity football and basketball. Rajvir has taken an interest in the NFL Draft since middle school when his team picked Montez Sweat and Dwayne Haskins in the first round. His favorite NFL player ever flips between Rob Gronkowski and Brett Favre, and his favorite athlete is LeBron James. He has been writing his own scouting reports since 2020, and is excited for the opportunities FirstRoundMock provides.