Chicago Bears Rumors: 3 reasons to trade for David Njoku

2. Cole Kmet could take time to develop

When the Bears took Cole Kmet at pick number 43 overall in this year’s draft, many were surprised. Some were a bit upset, and a few more were even disgusted. But, in the end, you cannot fault Ryan Pace for planting his foot in the ground and trying to improve one of the worst positions on his football team.

Kmet was undoubtedly the top tight end prospect in this year’s class, but as many rookie tight ends do, he could take a while to develop — and that’s okay. If Kmet took a year or two to break out, it wouldn’t surprise anyone. In fact, this is typical at the tight end position.

Prime examples of this are guys like Tyler Higbee and Mark Andrews, both of whom did not excite or bust loose during their rookie campaigns.

Now, Andrews is looked at as one of the top 10 guys at the position after his breakout season in 2019 and Higbee ended last season on a tear. Both of these guys didn’t do much in their first seasons in the NFL — it took Higbee even longer than one year, in fact.

This is also a reason why the Bears signed Graham. They knew they’d address the position in the draft and would need a veteran for a year or so to help be the bridge, as well as a mentor.