Cole Kmet understands the expectations placed on his shoulders. He’s the top draft choice for the Chicago Bears. Sure it’s only in the 2nd round but it still. Tight end has continued to be a nightmare position for the Chicago Bears. One GM Ryan Pace has spent a lot of resources trying to fix. Kmet is the latest attempt. There are plenty of people who are skeptical he can rise to the occasion.
A big reason for this is his career at Notre Dame. Looking at it, he only had one season of modestly good production. So people aren’t sold on the idea he can be more productive in the NFL despite his obvious physical talent. This has inevitably put a chip on his shoulder and is driving the 21-year old to make sure he’s as prepared as possible for the 2020 season.
One way to do that is by absorbing the playbook. Head coach Matt Nagy said in a teleconference call with Bears media that he’s actively tried to stump the rookie with various questions about the playbook. All attempts have failed, which is not normal and a testament to Kmet’s intelligence and preparation.
“I said yesterday in one of my discussions, I have yet to trump him in a zoom meeting on a question. I can’t trick him. He knows it all. … I guarantee you, and I’ll put it out there: He will know this playbook inside out.”
Cole Kmet is grasping the first step, but the biggest is still to come
Mastering the playbook is always a good thing. The fact that Kmet is doing it so quickly speaks to his work ethic and intelligence. However, he knows that alone won’t make him an NFL success. Learning the playbook is only half the battle. Executing it on the field is what will determine his career. Nagy said that his biggest hurdle will be reading defense and how they try to throw him off from doing that.
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Most projections have Kmet with modest production in 2020. Not a surprise since rookie tight ends tend not to produce right away. The good news is he doesn’t have to. That’s why the Bears signed Jimmy Graham. Kmet can focus on improving his craft without the pressure of having to be “the guy” right away. This should serve to help his development in the long run.
