Chicago Bears: The top 10 most important players of 2021

Most important Chicago Bears of 2021: Cole Kmet

Like Mooney and Johnson, tight end Cole Kmet is another second-year player the Bears are expecting big things out of. The tight end room is pretty talented between he and veteran Jimmy Graham, but the Bears will likely be moving on from the latter in 2022. They need Kmet to take a big enough step in 2021 to know that moving on from Graham is not only doable, but what’s best for the team.

Kmet was the best receiving tight end to come out of his class last year, and the Bears had a huge need, which is why he was an understandable pick in the second round. He really didn’t start playing a lot until later in the year, but when he did, Kmet made some plays that jumped off the screen.

Four of the final five weeks, Kmet had at least six targets. In those games, he had 18 of his 28 receptions on the year. The Bears should look to get him involved early on in 2021, because he has the talent to become one of the top-tier receiving tight ends in the league today. He just needs the touches.

If the Bears get reliable play from Kmet, along with their top two receivers, the passing game will look a whole lot different this coming season.