Cole Kmet May Have Fixed His Biggest Issue And That's Scary

The conversation focuses on three names when talking about the centerpieces of the Chicago Bears offense. One is, of course, Justin Fields. The other two are Darnell Mooney and David Montgomery. The name that sometimes seems to get lost in the shuffle is Cole Kmet. The big tight end was the first pick of the 2020 draft. After a quiet rookie season, he showed progress last year with over 600 yards receiving. Yet still little to no buzz. Why is that? There are a few reasons. One is that Kmet failed to score any touchdowns last year. Yards are great, but the best tight ends are often defined by how many times they reach the end zone. Travis Kelce had nine last season. Mark Andrews had nine. Then there is the perception of his ceiling. While nobody disputes Kmet is big and strong as a pass target, they've constantly questioned his speed.

He has no ability to separate.

That was the constant knock. It was fair. Watching him on tape through those first two years, the instances where he didn't have a defender within a yard or less of him were rare. Size and strength are crucial for tight ends in the NFL, but more than ever, it's the speed that separates the best ones from everybody else. Kmet didn't have that. Well, based on new evidence from training camp, that may have changed. He had one of the best practices of any player thus far on Thursday, making multiple big catches during drills. Most remember a 30-yard beauty he hauled in from Justin Fields between two defenders towards the end of practice. However, the one with greater potential implications came in one-on-ones, where he beat safety Eddie Jackson deep. It's not like the safety was caught off guard either. Kmet simply outran him.

Cole Kmet looks faster. That is not good news for the NFL.

People will say it's impossible to improve one's speed. That is not true. Athletic trainers have repeatedly expressed that several adjustments can help athletes get faster. This includes improving lower body flexibility, stronger core muscles, a more rigid ankle joint, better sprinting technique, and explosive power training. Montgomery embraced this approach starting in 2020 and immediately improved the number of big runs he produced. After only three of 20 yards or more as a rookie, he has ten across the past two seasons. There is also the possibility that Cole Kmet dropped weight. He usually sat around 260 lbs. Even dropping 10 lbs would lighten him enough to add more velocity. Either way, the results are noticeable. If they turn out to be true, people better start taking the 23-year-old seriously this season. Not only did he fix the one thing holding him back from a breakout season, but his chemistry with Fields is stronger than ever.

It is hard not to get excited about the implications.

Everybody feels Mooney will be good this year. If Kmet can also take a significant step forward, the Bears' offense might not be as toothless as everybody thinks.