The Chicago Bears 2020 draft class has honestly exceeded expectations to this point. Nobody had any right to believe this group would be any sort of factor. Not without the presence of a 1st round pick. Not to mention the absence of minicamps, OTAs, and a preseason to help get them ready. Yet guys like Jaylon Johnson and Darnell Mooney have already established themselves as solid contributors. Despite this, a lot of fans are angry about Cole Kmet.
Why? Well, the simplest answer is the Notre Dame tight end was the first pick the Bears made this year. By rights that means they viewed him as the best possible player they could draft. Given how much they talked him up after the draft, expectations were set pretty high. People expected to see him make an instant impact.
In their minds, that hasn’t happened. Kmet has just one catch for 12 yards in five games. When confronted with this criticism, tight ends coach Clancy Barone indicated those people have no idea what they’re talking about. In their pursuit of sometimes empty stats, they’ve missed the true development with the rookie tight end.
His evolution as a blocker.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Barone: "After the game I had a couple of phone calls on my drive home from some of my peers around the league and they were all talking about the same thing, it was about the very first play of the game and something that will never show up in any box score."
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) October 13, 2020
More from Barone: "… He didn't just reach JPP and gain leverage, he strained his hips through the block and actually flipped his hips and gave us a nice seam to go around. I have not seen that from very many players in my time in the NFL."
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) October 13, 2020
The Bears don’t need Cole Kmet the receiver yet
Obviously, people want Kmet to have success but in their minds, success for a tight end in this era of football is yards and touchdowns. Blocking is boring. Teams don’t draft guys in the 2nd round to be good blockers. Not unless you’re an offensive lineman. Yet the reality is good teams need tight ends who are good blockers. Kmet is becoming that.
The best part is they don’t really need him to be a receiver yet. Jimmy Graham has shown he has that part of the job held down with four touchdowns in the first five games. It feels like the Bears aren’t putting too much on his plate too fast. Not a bad idea given the limited offseason and the fact Kmet split time with baseball in college, to begin with.
The fact he’s come this far as a blocker already is a welcome sign that he should become a more well-rounded player in the weeks and months to come. He’s plenty athletic enough to be a factor in the passing game. It is a matter of opportunities more than anything. Those will come sooner or later. Fans just need to try and remain patient.