Chicago Bears: Where does Cole Kmet fit in Matt Nagy’s offense

Matt Nagy preached how the Chicago Bears needed a U tight end to make the offense run. So why Cole Kmet?

The Chicago Bears drafted Cole Kmet with the 43rd overall selection in the 2020 NFL draft. The draft selection was mocked and criticized due to the Chicago Bears having ten tight ends on the roster. When the Chicago Bears selected Kmet, many felt it was a reach. The question is, was it?

The 2017 NFL draft class was considered a weak draft class at quarterback. The 2018 quarterback class was supposed to be great. The 2017 class has two projected stars who will be in the league for a long time in Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. The 2018 class had five quarterbacks go in the first round, and only Lamar Jackson, who was the last one taken in that first round, is the only one showing he might be the real deal.

Some might argue Baker Mayfield is the real deal too with his record-breaking rookie year or Josh Allen with his 10 win season last year. If we were to include them, I would have to include Mitch Trubisky. The question remains, was drafting Kmet a reach?

Kmet’s average draft range seemed to fall between draft selection 45 and 63. There were a couple of national draft media members that had him in the late first and early second round. Pro Football Focus had Kmet ranked as the 98th overall player and the number two tight end behind Hunter Bryant, who went undrafted.

When Matt Nagy was hired, he stressed the U tight end being the vital piece that makes his offense run. In 2018 we saw Trey Burton score six touchdowns and have 569 yards receiving. When Burton was unable to perform in 2019, the Chicago Bears offense was flat. So what makes Kmet a fit?

Nagy now has stressed how vital his newly acquired Y tight end is for his offense. When we look at the Eagles and the Chiefs that use these tight ends as weapons, we see a 6-5 260 pound and a 6-5 250 pound man. Many have classified them as a U tight end, but they have the size to block inline. That is something Trey Burton never had.

Kmet lists as 6-6 262 pounds but has said he plays around 257. All three tight ends from the Andy Reid tree have similar profiles. You can even add in Dallas Goedert, who was drafted 49th overall in the 2018 NFL draft.

While the U tight end seems to steer the offense — which is the position Jimmy Graham is expected to play. It could be that talent at tight end is what Nagy needs to make the offense go. With this position group getting a massive makeover in Chicago, I would expect the offense to function much better in 2020 than it did in 2019.