Chicago Bears: 5 bold, early offensive predictions for 2021

3. Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet will catch 50 passes

Last year, when the Bears took tight end, Cole Kmet, with their first draft pick, many fans were understandably hesitant to love the pick. Taking a tight end with their first pick, with other needs, was somewhat tough to swallow for some.

However, Kmet did flash his potential as a rookie. He had a few of those plays where you wanted to stand up off your seat and wait for the replay. The athleticism and size were on full display on a few of his catches in 2020, and the opportunity for him to take over as the Bears’ full-time, no. 1 guy at the position should be there.

Tight ends take time to develop as pros, but Kmet actually played quite a bit as a rookie. Most of that time on the field was over the second half of the season, though. He ended up catching 28 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns. That was all while Jimmy Graham caught 50 passes for 456 yards and eight touchdowns.

With Graham coming back this year, he’ll still be in the mix. But, Kmet may take over as the primary receiving tight end, especially with Fields possibly starting. At this point, Kmet is the quicker, younger and overall more talented player. He’s just got to ensure he knows the playbook, which after one full year and another offseason, he should.

The table is set for Kmet to replace Graham as the Bears’ leading tight end, and he’ll end his sophomore year with a minimum of 50 receptions.