3 reasons to be optimistic about Cole Kmet
Chicago Bears fans should be excited about the upside that Cole Kmet presents
Some Chicago Bears were disappointed by the drafting at Cole Kmet with their first pick in the second round. Still, it is not a pick that should have surprised anybody. We have mentioned the fit from before the combine all the way through the day before the draft.
Kmet is not a perfect prospect and will take some time to iron out his game during his rookie season. Still, there is a lot to be excited about when it comes to Kmet and his overall fit with Chicago. Here are three reasons Chicago Bears fans should trust this pick.
Age, and Upside
A lot of people were dinging the pick because Kmet was not a dominant, hands down stud tight end at the college level. However, for the first tight end drafted to fall to pick 43, it is not expected to get an all-around stud impact player at the position. Otherwise, he would have gone top 20.
Still, Kmet is just 21 years old. When looking at the top tight ends in the draft, Adam Trautman, Harrison Bryant, Albert O, Devin Asiasi, Brycen Hopkins, and Josiah Deguara were all older than Kmet.
Trautman is over two years older than Kmet, Hopkins, Asiasi, and Deguara are all over a full year older than Kmet. Would it be great if Kmet were younger and head and shoulders better than these candidates? Sure, but again that is where top 20 picks go. It is reasonable to think that if Kmet entered the NFL draft a year or even two from now that he would grade out better than all of these options.
Cole Kmet is also more athletic than the rest of these tight ends. Coming in at 262 pounds, Kmet showed above-average athleticism. When looking at Relative Athletic Scores, which weighs how athletic these players are at their specific weight compared to peers at their position, Kmet posted a 9.22 out of 10. For tight ends his size, it does not get much more athletic. Only Dalton Keene posted a better score in this tight end group.
Kmet is a player drafted for what he could be more than what he was, and what he was was already in the same discussion as these names.
It is also worth noting that Kmet was a baseball player at Notre Dame. So, he was not spending offseasons dedicated to football as much as he was developing an overall athletic profile. Kmet had an ankle injury that held him back in 2018 and missed the start of 2019 with a shoulder.
He finished the season, but what you have is a young player and a very raw player in experience and practice reps. As of today, Kmet does not stand head and shoulders above these tight ends, but in terms of potential, none of the names in this class can top Kmet. Now it is on the Bears to bring it out.