5 comparisons to Cole Kmet rookie season with Chicago Bears
When Cole Kmet did not light the world on fire during his rookie season it was not a surprise. It is expected for tight ends to take a bit of time before they break out, and looking historically, Cole Kmet is right in line with plenty of other rookies tight ends. So, who are these tight ends that the Chicago Bears rookie is right in line with?
The average range of receptions and yards for a rookie tight end was 26-42 receptions and 269-484 yards, which Kmet was right in, but did skew towards the lower end. Who are some of the most comparable rookie seasons to Cole Kmet?
5. Kyle Rudolph
We already touched on this one, which is what inspired digging into the other comparisons. Rudolph and Kmet both have their Notre Dame pedigree, they both were drafted 43rd overall in the second round to an NFC North team and now we see very similar stats.
| Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | Rece | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | From | To | AV | G | Rec | Yds | TD | Y/R | Lng |
| 1 | Cole Kmet | 2020 | 2020 | 2 | 16 | 28 | 243 | 2 | 8.7 | 38 |
| 2 | Kyle Rudolph | 2011 | 2011 | 2 | 15 | 26 | 249 | 3 | 9.6 | 41 |
Rudolph put up just six more yards on two fewer receptions as a rookie. However, their big difference did come down to run-blocking grades. Rudolph graded above average as a run blocker, and rated in the 80s, per PFF. Cole Kmet was graded in the 50s last season and there are areas of his game that he has to work on still. If he can block more, the Rudolph ceiling is there.
It is worth noting that Rudolph jumped up to 493 yards n his second season, nearly doubling his rookie year total.