Adding sure-handed tight end Cole Kmet early is a risk.
Under Matt Nagy, the Chicago Bears have had five to six tight ends on the active roster every year with him. That is including last year’s position changed player Bradley Sowell. The Chicago Bears will likely keep six tight ends again this year and use two or three on the practice squad.
Cole Kmet wasn’t just a football player for Norte Dame. He also played baseball as well. An injury stopped Kmet from returning to baseball and solely focus on football. Kmet has 21 career targets before his 2019 season. Kmet is still very raw but not raw like Kevin White or Adam Shaheen kind of way.
Cole Kmet was built to play tight end in the NFL. He is 6’6 262 pounds and just turned 21 years old. He is still a growing boy. With a 4.7 40 yard dash and a 37″ vertical and 123″ broad jump, Kmet is very explosive. Kmet is yet to figure out how to use his body. He is likely going to get bigger. Some compared him to Jason Witten, Travis Kelce, or Zach Ertz. But that isn’t who Kmet is. Being this raw might scare some fans, but Cole Kmet is Dion Sims with a catching ability and flexibility.
Those who remember Sims was known for his massive frame and soft hands. He was a willing blocker who wasn’t very flexible. Listed at 6.5 262, Sims was massive for sure and showed similar explosion like Kmet. The most significant difference between the two is Kmet seems to be able to catch passes off target and maintain his balance to make acrobatic catches as well. Think Dion sims with a 3.0 upgraded system in ball catching.
The Chicago Bears second second-round pick was likely the better pick between the two. If the Chicago Bears would have selected them in reverse order, nobody could complain. Well minus the fans that wanted offensive line.