Some analysts would have you believe Cole Kmet is an average tight end. They take one look at his numbers and don’t bother exploring deeper. Chicago Bears fans know the truth. The former 2nd round pick has shown constant flashes of quality play since arriving in 2020. Most of the problems have been out of his control. A constant mix of quarterback and coaching issues hampers him. It is hard to produce in the NFL without one of those situations at least being stable. No such luck. Kmet has had half a dozen different quarterbacks, two different head coaches, and five different offensive coordinators.
Thankfully, it seems that only the media is ignorant of this fact. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler asked around the NFL for who they feel are the best tight ends. While Kmet failed to crack the top 10, he did get an honorable mention.
Cole Kmet, Chicago Bears: “Probably underutilized as a three-down tight end. He can stretch the seams and work underneath for the QB.” — NFL personnel evaluator
This should serve as a reminder that your eyes haven’t deceived you. Kmet can play. One annoying fact about many in the media is that they treat fans like they’re stupid. They’re not. They may not have the trained eyes of people in the league, but they’re smart enough to spot good players.
Cole Kmet faces his toughest test yet.
It must feel so unfair. Finally, it looks like the Bears have given him a quarterback and head coach of the highest caliber. He’s in a position to take off, and the team pulls the rug out from under him by drafting Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick. To his credit, Cole Kmet handled it well. Ben Johnson assured him the plan was to utilize both tight ends in lots of “12” personnel. That means they’ll be on the field together a lot. Kmet may not see the same target share he has in the past, but there is a strong likelihood the catches he makes will have more bang for their buck. In truth, he might be willing to accept the sacrifice if it means the Bears finally start winning.
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