Cole Kmet was the first draft pick the Chicago Bears made this offseason. This was a clear indication that both head coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace really liked the Notre Dame product. They felt he'd make a strong addition to their retooling offense. Particularly at a position that was an absolute dumpster fire in 2019 with no tight end managing 100 yards for the season.
The question is what are they getting with Kmet? That depends on who you ask. Most draft experts agreed that he was the best all-around tight end in the 2020 class. However, what they can't agree on is what his ceiling is. Some see a big athlete with an All-Pro upside. Others see little more than a good blocker who is athletic enough to occasionally be a threat in the passing game.
Dan Pompei of The Athletic sought opinions from the NFL scouting community on the subject. One of them made an interesting comparison to a familiar name for Bears fans. With an added bonus too.
Scout A says Kmet is a faster version of the Vikings’ Kyle Rudolph.
“He’s a really good player,” Scout A says. “He can be an immediate starter. He can run, but he’s not a total mismatch, and he has the size to develop into a good blocker.”
Cole Kmet has a bright career ahead if that's true
People love to dog on Kyle Rudolph for not being a "star" but the reality is the man has remained a steady, dependable tight end for a decade now. He has 47 touchdown catches in his career and reached two Pro Bowls. That's pretty good for a 2nd round pick. To think Kmet is a faster and more athletic version of that? This is a positive thing for the Bears.
Early returns are certainly promising. Word out of training camp was the rookie made life hard for the Bears defense. He was a constant headache for them, especially in the red zone along with Jimmy Graham. It's important to keep expectations reasonable for his rookie season, but the sky truly might be the limit for Kmet.
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