Day 1 Reactions
By Dustin Jones
My Reaction to The Bears First Round Pick- Colston Loveland-10th
Many Bears fans are upset with the Bears’ pick at 10 of Colston Loveland, but I love this pick. Detractors will say that the Bears needed to solidify the trenches, or that Loveland was a reach at 10. “You could have traded back a few spots and still gotten Loveland!” I don’t understand the logic of any of this. First of all, the only offensive lineman left on the board I would have felt comfortable taking at 10 was Tyler Booker, and the Bears just traded for two starting guards earlier this off-season… they didn’t need him.(as much as I LOVE Tyler Booker.) Secondly, if you’re comfortable taking Loveland at say pick 14 if you were able to trade back, what is the difference between taking him 4 spots earlier? If the Colts were a legitimate potential trade partner, who’s to say they wouldn’t have wanted to take Loveland at 10? It’s been clear for some time that finding a trade back partner was going to be very tough in this draft for the Bears, and if Loveland was the Bears’ guy then I appreciate their confidence in pulling the trigger at 10 personally. Lastly, many draft outlets had Loveland ranked higher than Tyler Warren at the tight end position throughout this process, and obviously the Bears thought higher of Loveland than Warren as well. This isn’t idiocy. This is a team that had a clear understanding of a need they wanted to fill, and a strong idea that they were getting the best player in the draft at that need. It’s not as if Warren was off of the board and the Bears were left “settling” for Loveland. They CHOSE Loveland OVER Warren. You might disagree with their assessment, but doing so is disagreeing with the principles and philosophies of the head coach that you applauded the Bears for hiring just a couple of months ago. And if you have convinced yourself that this was a Poles pick, rather than a Ben Johnson pick, then you are just in denial. This was a Johnson pick all of the way. Loveland is an athletic tight end who has the potential to dominate the middle of the field and the seam, work well within the slot and multiple alignments, create impressive yards after the catch, and be the Bears’ number one threat in the redzone. Ben Johnson got his guy, and I for one am a big fan of this pick. Let’s give our new head coach the opportunity to see what he can do with this extremely physically talented kid.
My Favorite Pick of The Draft: Tyler Booker-Drafted 12th to the Cowboys
Everyone had the Cowboys going skill position with this pick. Whether it be Omarion Hampton, or Matthew Golden. The last time the Cowboys shocked everyone and went O line over skill position they were selecting Zach Martin 16th overall in 2014. That pick worked out pretty damn well for them. In 2025 they did it again, selecting Tyler Booker to replace the retiring Zach Martin. Somewhat ironic. This isn’t a flashy pick. This is a winning pick. The Cowboys understand that to win in the NFC east they are going to have to keep Dak Prescott upright, and they are going to have to out physical teams like the Eagles at the line of scrimmage. This pick is a start at having a puncher’s chance at doing just that. Drafting Tyler Booker and adding him to this offensive line immediately changes the attitude of this team, and gives the offensive line an ass kicking identity. Booker was a top ten player in this draft on my board, and I truly believe there is a 0% chance of bust factor. Dare I say, the second coming of Larry Allen?? I LOVE this pick.
My Steal of the Draft: Jihaad Campbell- Drafted 31st to Eagles
The rich get richer. This one is pretty obvious. So much so that I really don’t think there’s a close runner up. I’ve been of the belief for a while now that Jihaad Campbell could turn out to be the best player in this draft overall, and going to the Eagles at 31 only solidifies that’s belief. Campbell is the best true linebacker in this draft, and I can’t help but compare him to Patrick Willis. Adding that level of talent to an already STACKED Eagles defense, with Vic Fangio calling the shots, should scare the hell out of the rest of the NFL. Philly traded up to get their guy, so they clearly understand what a special talent he is. This was absolute thievery by the Eagles… again!
My Winner of The 1st Round: Atlanta Falcons- Jalon Walker 15th and James Pearce 26th
Say what you will about the Falcons giving up their second and 7th round picks this year and their first round pick in 2026 to move up to the 26th pick to draft James Pearce Jr, I can’t help but love the conviction here. The Falcons were aware of their biggest need going into this draft, PASS RUSH, and they addressed that need in a major way. They could have just been satisfied with having Jalon Walker fall to them at 15, rightfully so, and sat back and waited until the second round to continue to address their team’s biggest weakness. The Falcons were not fans of that approach, and they really went all in with this move. Raheem Morris is a smart dude, and a good football coach, especially on the defensive side of the ball. If he tells you his defense can be special with these two edge rushers screaming off either side of the line of scrimmage, you’re probably smart to listen to him. Terry Fontenot did, and I can see both of these picks paying immediate dividends for a defense in desperate need of putting more consistent pressure on the QB. They certainly gave up a lot to get this done, but getting back a 3rd round pick in this draft softens that blow. Walker and Pearce Jr could be a special pass rushing tandem for the next 5-8 years. If that’s the case, this move was totally worth it for the Falcons.
