Chicago Bears Draft: 3 things to know about TE Cole Kmet

2. Kmet is a dual-sport, home-grown talent

Take away any hot takes or harsh opinions for a moment, and simply look at the story you have in front of you. Kmet was born in Lake Barrington, IL and went to St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights. This kid has grown up around Chicago sports.

For those who may not know, Kmet didn’t just grow up playing multiple sports in grade school and high school. At the University of Notre Dame, Kmet played baseball on top of his football career.

Kmet played a lot more baseball in 2018 than he did in 2019. He was a relief pitcher for the Irish and made 26 appearances in 2018. That season, he pitched over 46 innings for the Irish, giving up 50 hits while striking out 39 batters, with 25 walks. Kmet also came up with eight saves.

In 2019, Kmet only appeared in eight games, but struck out 27 batters in just 18 innings. The kicker? He only walked three batters during those appearances.

His final season playing football for the Irish was his only real productive year, although his film speaks much higher than his stat line. Kmet caught 43 passes for 515 yards and six touchdowns over the 2019 campaign.

The one thing I will say is that Kmet might be able to give Matt Nagy a trick play or two, having an arm like he does. I think if Nagy gets back to a little trickery once in a while, Kmet would be an ideal candidate to utilize.