Chicago Bears: What is the ceiling on tight end Cole Kmet?

The selection of newly Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet drew a mixed reaction from fans.

On one end you have some Chicago Bears fans that love the pick and think that the team got a high caliber talent at the tight end position. On the other end you have a group of fans that feel that the general manager blew this pick. No matter how we feel about the pick, what is done is done.

Despite the high volume of TEs on the depth chart, the position was a need based on the quality of personnel. The Bears signed Jimmy Graham to be the move TE in head coach Matt Nagy’s offense. The In-line TE was a question mark with the likes of Demetrius Harris and Adam Shaheen at the position. That was until the Bears used the No. 43 Notre Dame’s TE Cole Kmet.

The first thing that stands out about the former Fighting Irish stand out is his size. At 6-foot-6 262 pounds, Kmet is an imposing figure at the position. He is a mismatch for opposing linebackers and nickelbacks over the middle of the field.

The comparisons to current Bears’ TE Shaheen will come to mind because of their identical size. However, Kmet is much smoother as a runner after the catch than Shaheen. He is not in the same class as George Kittle or Zach Ertz after the catch. However, he is not the rumbling and stumbling athlete as Shaheen.

Kmet is not a field stretcher, but a solid dependable target over the middle of the field. He should be able to give you those 10-20-yard completions more often than not. Maybe even the potential big play downfield if not accounted for. He is not the most explosive route runner, but Kmet makes up for with a big catch radius.

Maybe where Kmet will mostly make an immediate impact is in the red zone. His big frame and go up and get it ability will be welcome in that area of the field.

If you are looking for a player comparison to match him up with, it would be another former Notre Dame TE Kyle Rudolph. Like Kmet, Rudolph was not the most explosive athlete at TE position when he arrived with the Minnesota Vikings.

However, he developed into that dependable target over the middle of the field and red zone threat. He also established himself into a solid in-line blocker later in his career. Kmet still has room to grow in that area, but certainly has the potential to develop into a consistent solid blocker.

If Kmet develops into a Travis Kelce or Kittle type of player, great for the Bears. If his career ends up similar to Rudolph, as a Bears fan you almost have to take that as a success.