Notre Dame Football: Bears fans will fall in love with Cole Kmet

With little offensive production in 2019, the Bears turned to the former Notre Dame football tight end Cole Kmet for support.

When the Chicago Bears traded away Greg Olsen in 2010, it seemed like they were actively trying to avoid having a serviceable tight end on the roster. Then, the Bears found a solid tight end in Zach Miller, who ended up almost losing a leg. Then, they acquired Trey Burton after his famous Super Bowl touchdown pass and we haven’t heard much about him since.

Last year, J.P. Holtz lead Matt Nagy’s tight ends with 91 receiving yards on the season according to ESPN. And no, this season wasn’t cut short from COVID-19, Chicago’s leading tight end finished with 91 receiving yards during a full length season. I know.

When team are searching for a tight end, there’s only one place to look in the NCAA. Well, actually, there’s about 4 or 5 places to look, but Notre Dame is undeniably one of them. The Irish have had three tight ends drafted in the first or second round in the last decade, and they’ve produced two of the top TEs in the NFL right now in Tyler Eifert and Kyle Rudolph.

And so, this is where Chicago has turned after an absolutely terrible season from their tight ends. On the offensive side of the ball, the Bears are taking any help they can get. Their defense was never an issue over the past few years, but their 28th ranked offense was. This is where Cole Kmet will come into play. Unfortunately, I don’t think Kmet will be able to help Mitchell Trubisky stop making terrible throws, but he’ll be a huge help offensively regardless.

Kmet has a huge presence at 6-foot-6 and 262 pounds with room to grow. It’s not every day that you see someone with his frame move the way he does. At the combine, he ran a 4.70 40-yard dash, fourth among tight ends.

It’s not uncommon for tight ends of this size to end up becoming a pure blocker and never really gaining traction as a pass catcher. This won’t be a problem for Kmet, as he is as versatile as you’ll find at this size, drawing comparisons to Travis Kelce and George Kittle.

Kmet’s athleticism is impressive on paper, but when you watch him play, it’s even more astounding. He’s capable of making flexible catches, whether the ball is thrown up high or too low — he’ll hold onto it every time. He’s fearless with strong hands, so the ball wont pop free if he makes a catch in traffic. Even when he gets hit hard, he doesn’t go down easily. He’s like Rob Gronkowski in that way, he’ll drag a few corners and a safety eight yards before the referees blow the play dead.

Often times, when you watch a tight end, especially at his size, they don’t look like they’re totally comfortable on the receiving end. They look clunky and awkward, and they simply rack up yards and touchdowns by being physically larger than everyone else. And while Kmet is definitely physically larger than everyone else, he has a natural athleticism that can’t be taught. And that’s really where his value stands as a football player — the athletic body he was born with.

This isn’t solely based on the eye test either, Kmet has the numbers to back him up. During his senior year, the guy put together 516 receiving yards and six touchdown receptions, leading tight ends on a strong Notre Dame team. Each of his three years in college, Kmet’s yards per catch increased. From seven his freshman year, to 10.8 his sophomore year, to 12 his junior year before declaring for the draft.

So surely a guy who has it together as a receiver like this neglects his blocking assignments, right? It’s not uncommon to see a physically gifted tight end play an undisciplined game. But Kmet isn’t that guy. Sure, he’s not the best blocker you’ll find in the draft, but he does the job that’s assigned to him on any given play. He’s got great football instincts, so even though he may not be the most talented blocker, he knows where he’s supposed to be and he can react on the fly.

If you don’t get it by now, I’m trying to say that there shouldn’t be any concerns regarding his football abilities. In fact, the only thing that’s worrisome about Kmet is that he might not want to stay in Chicago if the offense can’t improve. But that’s not something that Bears fans should lose sleep at night over.

Matt Nagy has a creative offensive mind, and he’ll find a way to plug in Kmet where it makes sense and get him the production he deserves.

If nothing else, Kmet brings one thing to the windy city: hope. Specifically, offensive hope.

For an offense that has long been neglected by coaches and general managers, Kmet is a spark on a seemingly hopeless offense. Barring any injuries or trades, he will be the guy in Chicago for a long time. He’s got the tools to make things happen and Bears fans will be thrilled to have him around for the foreseeable future.