During the 2023 season, Colston Loveland and AJ Barner were the top two tight ends on the Michigan Wolverines’ undefeated national championship team.
Could they potentially reunite in the Pacific Northwest?
Insider: Two draft prospects who fit Seattle Seahawks’ identity
Last year, the Seattle Seahawks selected Barner in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. He went on to have a productive rookie campaign, totaling 30 catches for 245 yards and four touchdowns while providing solid run blocking and establishing himself as Seattle’s No. 2 tight end behind Noah Fant.
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Loveland, meanwhile, is a surefire first-round pick who could be a legitimate option for the Seahawks in this year’s draft. Some draft experts – including NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah – have projected Seattle to take the 6-foot-5, 248-pound Loveland at No. 18 overall. It would make sense, given how important tight ends are to new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s scheme.
On Tuesday, FOX college football analyst Brock Huard highlighted Loveland as part of his Seahawks draft profile series on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. Huard called Loveland a “unicorn” due to his lengthy frame, speed, fluid athleticism and potential to be a big-time receiving threat at the NFL level.
“He’s a unicorn,” Huard said. “He’s just different. And he was different from day one at the University of Michigan. He played as a true freshman there. … When you’re 6-6, 250, you run 4.7 (seconds in the 40-yard dash), you’ve got 33-inch arms and can jump out of the gym, you give yourself an opportunity, (even) at Michigan, to hit the field right away.”
As a freshman, Loveland had 16 catches for 235 yards and two touchdowns on a Michigan team that reached the College Football Playoff semifinals.
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Loveland then took over as the Wolverines’ No. 1 tight end in 2023, racking up 45 catches for 649 yards and four touchdowns during Michigan’s 15-0 national championship season – including a key 41-yard catch-and-run in the national title game against the UW Huskies. Barner was the Wolverines’ No. 2 tight end that year, totaling 22 catches for 249 yards and a TD.
This past fall, Loveland played through a shoulder injury that limited him to 10 games. But he still finished with a school-record 56 catches for a team-high 582 yards and five TDs – including seven catches for a season-high 112 yards against Oregon. He finished with more than double the receiving yards of any other player on Michigan’s team, which was hampered by subpar quarterback play following the departure of 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy.
“He’s a 6-6, 250 guy that looks like a 6-foot, 200-pound receiver,” Huard said. “He is that big, but he moves that effortlessly with that much fluidity.”
Loveland underwent shoulder surgery on Jan. 29 to repair his AC joint, but is expected to be able to be fully cleared for training camp this summer.
“Frankly, (the shoulder) is a little bit of a concern for me,” Huard said. “I’d have to be very, very, very clear on my medicals.”
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Loveland also isn’t regarded as a particularly strong run blocker. But with Barner and the recently signed Eric Saubert, the Seahawks already have two good blocking tight ends. Loveland’s elite field-stretching ability could pair with Fant to give Kubiak another big-time receiving weapon for his bevy of multi-tight-end formations.
Loveland’s immense potential is reflected by Jeremiah ranking him as the No. 7 overall prospect in this year’s draft class – one spot ahead of Miami quarterback Cam Ward, the projected No. 1 overall pick.
“That tells you some of the grade and the evaluation and the unique skill set,” Huard said.
Listen to the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
Seattle Seahawks coverage
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SEATTLE – It is the end of an era for Top Pot in Queen Anne as the cafe announces its closure of the location on Friday.
Top Pot Doughnuts and Coffee at 325 West Galer Street has been running for nearly two decades in the Seattle neighborhood.
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Top Pot Queen Anne, storefront by Colleen K. and donuts by Judi M. via Yelp.
The cafe will officially close on Sunday, Apr. 27. Owners say the lease is ending, but did not immediately provide more details on the cause of the closure.
“This cafe has been home to so many memories–from your morning rituals to late afternoon pick-me-ups – and we’re truly grateful for your support and loyalty over the years.”
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The statement, released on social media heading into the weekend, continued with reassurance to customers that their remaining nearby locations will remain open for business, such as those in Ballard, South Lake Union, 5th Avenue or various others in the metro area.
The Source: Information for this article comes from Top Pot Doughnuts.
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It’s unclear whether Texas offensive tackle/guard Kelvin Banks Jr. will still be available for the Seattle Seahawks when it comes time for the No. 18 overall pick in next week’s NFL Draft.
A surprise player who could fall to Seahawks at No. 18
But if he’s still on the board, former NFL quarterback Brock Huard has a simple three-word message for the Seahawks.
“Draft Kelvin Banks,” Huard said during his draft profile Wednesday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.
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Huard certainly isn’t the only one who shares that viewpoint. During an appearance on Brock and Salk last week, ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller was asked which offensive lineman the Seahawks should take if Banks, North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel and Alabama guard Tyler Booker are each still an option at No. 18.
“I’d want Kelvin Banks,” Miller said. “He’s my No. 8 overall player, so that’s easy. I would run to the podium. … I think Kelvin Banks could be an All-Pro guard if you want to put him at left guard. He’s 6-foot-5. He’s got a big wingspan. He’s great in the run game. Has mobility in the pass game.
“If you could put him at guard next to a good tackle? Man, you could have something really special.”
A highly accomplished lineman
The 6-foot-5, 315-pound Banks started 42 games at left tackle over a highly accomplished three-year career at Texas. Along the way, he allowed just four sacks in 1,544 pass-blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
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As an 18-year-old true freshman in 2022, Banks earned second-team All-Big 12 honors. In 2023, he was a first-team All-Big 12 selection. And as a 20-year-old this past season, he was a first-team All-American who won the Lombardi Award as the nation’s top offensive lineman. In addition, he won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top lineman on either side of the line of scrimmage this past fall.
And as Huard pointed out, he’s still incredibly young for all he’s accomplished.
“He’s not reached his ceiling,” Huard said. “To think he’s gonna come into this league as a 21-year-old with 42 starts at an All-American level, and do so as a 21-year-old, with that movement, that athleticism? You’re gonna get the best of Kelvin for the next three, four, five years.”
‘Best-case scenario’
While Banks played left tackle at Texas, some think he’s better-suited to slide inside to guard in the NFL. That versatility would benefit the Seahawks by giving them added flexibility as they work to revamp their struggling O-line.
The big question, of course, is whether Banks makes it down to No. 18.
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ESPN’s Field Yates predicts the San Francisco 49ers to draft him at No. 11 in his latest mock draft. Miller ranks him as the eighth-best overall prospect, but projects in his latest mock draft that he’ll fall all the way to the Green Bay Packers at No. 23.
Huard certainly hopes the latter scenario plays out. Along with left tackle Charles Cross and right tackle Abraham Lucas, Banks could potentially give the Seahawks a formidable trio up front.
“The best-case scenario?” Huard said. “Charles Cross, you play left tackle. Abe, you play right tackle. Or maybe Abe, you slide in and play right guard and (Banks) plays right tackle. I’ve got athlete, I’ve got athlete, I’ve got athlete. I’ve got stud, I’ve got stud, I’ve got stud.
“I’ve got clay that I’ve not had to mold on the offensive line in a long, long time in Seattle. Draft Kelvin Banks.”
Listen to the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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