Cole Kmet played well last season for the Chicago Bears. GM Ryan Poles seemed happy about it. One would think it was enough to justify a new contract. Yet months have passed since the season ended, and nothing has changed. Kmet enters the final year of his rookie deal. It’s possible things will get worked out by August, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that Poles might be taking the same approach with him as he did with David Montgomery. Let him play out that final year and walk in free agency. Then he can seek a player at the position of his own choosing.
The timing is important. Projections say the 2023 draft class is loaded at tight end. If the Bears were to seek a long-term replacement for Kmet, this would be the year to do it. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears may have somebody in mind. He dropped one of his trademark hints on Twitter.
Tucker Kraft made lots of noise at the FCS level as a pass-catching weapon. He has solid speed, a tall frame with long arms, and runs good routes. He also runs hard after the catch. If anybody were to remind Poles of Travis Kelce, it might be him.
Ryan Poles is clearly looking for a more explosive weapon.
That was already made clear when the Bears signed former Packers tight end Robert Tonyan. While Kmet has good hands and a wide catch radius, he doesn’t have the speed to truly threaten defense down the seam like Kelce, George Kittle, or Mark Andrews. Kraft shows a bit more speed on tape and has the quickness to run sharper routes. Poles might easily see him as a perfect player to stash away for a year, develop him behind Kmet, and then elevate him to the starting job in 2024.
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It’s something to keep in mind. Projections have Kraft going somewhere in the 3rd or 4th rounds. The Bears have three picks in that range. Kelce went in the 3rd round, for what it’s worth. Ryan Poles knows value can be found in that area of the draft if you know what to look for. There may be other tight ends on the list as well. What the Bears do will say a lot about what they really think of Kmet.
