Colston Loveland Could Change the Colts Entire Offense
Indianapolis hasn’t had a tight end eclipse 500 yards receiving in a season since 2018.
Read that again. It’s not a misprint.
In a day and age where a difference maker at tight end can take an offense to a new level, it’s becoming more and more common for teams to invest heavily at the position.
This year in the draft it’s the Colts turn to do just that and Michigan’s Colston Loveland could change the entire dynamic of their offense.
Look at what George Kittle has meant to the offense in San Francisco throughout the years.
It doesn’t matter if Jimmy Garoppolo was under center or Brock Purdy or anyone in between. Kittle thrived regardless and is a massive reason head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense hums to the tune that it does.
Kansas City’s offense would’ve been a shell of itself throughout the last decade and change without Travis Kelce in the picture.
Mark Andrews has been the one constant in the passing game for Lamar Jackson in Baltimore the last seven years.
The tight end position has evolved and taken off in today’s NFL and the Colts can’t afford to keep playing from behind in that aspect. Anthony Richardson is still a young quarterback trying to figure things out on the fly. There’s an old adage that a young quarterback’s best friend is his tight end and Richardson hasn’t had anything close to that in two years.
Enter Loveland.
Loveland is the perfect mold of everything a franchise wants in a tight end today.
Loveland is a mismatch nightmare for a defense. He’s fast enough to blow past a linebacker in man coverage and he’s tall enough, at 6-foot-5, to extend over a defensive back and pluck the ball out of the air.
Loveland isn’t a raw talent, he’ll be a plug-and-play option for whoever scoops him up in April’s draft. His play at Michigan reflected that as he led the Wolverines in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns in 2024 as the go-to target in what was an otherwise pedestrian passing game.
It’s not as though the Colts are among the top dogs in the AFC right now but in terms of finding Richardson a constant threat in the middle of the field, they’d prefer as close to a sure thing as possible over a developmental project that will require patience.
A large part in that is that Richardson has already been in place for two years and it’s been an up-and-down ride so far.
Year 3 is shaping up to be a prove it year of sorts for Richardson, assuming he beats out Daniel Jones in Indianapolis’ wacky quarterback battle set to take place this offseason. Loveland provides an immediate impact option for Richardson and blends right in with the quarterback’s timeline.
Loveland is projected to go right around where the Colts are selecting at No. 14 and some mocks, like Eric Edholm’s of NFL.com, have the Michigan tight end landing in Indianapolis.
The Colts know it’s arguably the most pressing need on the team that still remains with the draft rapidly approaching.
Back in January, general manager Chris Ballard didn’t mince his words talking about the lack of production the Colts have had at the position.
“We didn’t get enough production from them… I’ve got to be able to give Shane (Steichen) and them a guy that can really control the middle of the field, that teams have to account for and defend,” Ballard said of the tight end group.
Steichen spoke at the NFL Combine about the tight end spot specifically and what exactly the Colts were looking for.
“To be multiple at that position (tight end) to be able to run block and pass catch is huge,” Steichen said in February. “But obviously, being able to affect the game as a pass catcher on third down is huge.”
Loveland shines best as a pass catcher and his run blocking is more of a work in progress that may never be elite. However, his threat in the passing game only seems to be getting better and that is what could separate him at the next level.
In 2024, Indianapolis’ tight end room that consisted of Mo Alie-Cox, Kylen Granson, Will Mallory and Drew Ogletree COMBINED for 39 receptions, 467 yards and and two touchdowns. To better hammer home some perspective on that, there were 25 tight ends in the NFL who had more receiving yards than that by themselves.
The Colts drastically need a facelift at tight end and Loveland is the perfect fit for them and for what type of tight end excels in today’s game.
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