The Chicago Bears are hoping for a big year from Cole Kmet in 2021. He was their top draft pick last season and really began to show signs of progress towards the end of the year. Everybody knew he was young and raw coming out of Notre Dame. However, with some patience, good coaching, and hard work? He had a chance to become something special for this team. It would appear the man himself is being proactive in this mission.
Recently three former All-Pro tight ends in George Kittle, Travis Kelce, and Greg Olsen decided to hold the first annual summit for tight ends. A gather of NFL players at the position where they can exchange knowledge and work out together. It was dubbed Tight End University. After initially starting with a list of 20 participants, it quickly grew to 49. Kmet made sure he was one of those who attended.
It appears he’s not taking any shortcuts.
Photographer Mike Stadlman took pictures of the action. He found the Bears tight end going through a routine in the weight room under the watchful eye of Kittle. From the look of it, the 22-year old certainly didn’t skip arm day.
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Please remember that Kmet is 6’6 and last weighed in at 262. By the look of it, most of that weight is pure muscle. A terrifying thought. Especially if you’re a defender that will probably end up having to cover him this season. He’s in top physical condition and also received invaluable tutoring from Kittle, Olsen, Kelce, and some of the other top tight ends in the league. There is no understating how well he’s used his time this offseason.
Results are showing up in practice for Cole Kmet too
Reports from Halas Hall indicate the tight end was a problem for defenders in the passing game through both OTAs and minicamps. It didn’t matter who the quarterback was. He kept making nice catch after nice catch. Jimmy Graham insisted during his most recent interview that the sky is truly the limit for Kmet. This kid has a chance to be something Chicago hasn’t seen in a long time.
That said, there is plenty of proving still to do. While he made some nice grabs last year as a rookie, parts of his game clearly needed work. The most pressing was his inability to create consistent separation as a route runner. That shouldn’t be a huge surprise. Route running is often one of the last things a tight end masters.
This is why there is rarely a breakout star as a rookie.
It’s a safe bet Bears fans are going to start seeing the real Cole Kmet this season. It comes down to how often the team looks to get him the ball. That will depend on the quarterbacks and the coaches. Matt Nagy admitted he took too long to get Kmet more involved last year. One can safely assume he won’t make that mistake this year. Based on what we’ve already seen? This could be a big year for the Arlington Heights-native.