2020 NFL Draft Prospect – Cole Kmet, TE Notre Dame
Our NFL rookie profile series continues with this analysis of 2020 NFL Draft Prospect Cole Kmet, TE from Notre Dame. We will continue to provide you with these in-depth rookie profiles and a ton of other fantasy football rookie analysis right up through the NFL Draft. Stay tuned, and stay ahead of your league!
Notre Dame draft prospects might have lost some of their shine at the skill position after a decade as Will Fuller and Tyler Eifert dealt with injuries, Golden Tate has slowly aged, and other early-round players never materialized. The Fighting Irish have continued to put NFL talent in the league and tight end Cole Kmet should continue that tradition of solid contributors in the league.
THE STATS
Statistics from sports-reference.com.
Cole Kmet was a highly sought-after and regarded prospect coming out of high school. Before committing to Notre Dame, he was the third-ranked tight end in the nation and was ranked as the 88th overall prospect on 247Sports recruiting. As a four-star prospect, he had offers from Ohio State, Michigan, and plenty of others. In his senior season, Kmet posted a season with 48 receptions, 773 receiving yards, and four touchdowns. Kmet was invited to the 2017 US Army All-American game which highlights many of the nation’s top incoming college freshmen. His father Frank Kmet was a fourth-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills.
Kmet was limited coming in, as he played behind Durham Smythe and Alize Mack as a freshman. Originally he was playing two sports at Notre Dame and served as a pitcher for Notre Dame with eight saves. Smythe would go on to be drafted in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and Mack in round seven of the 2019 draft. Kmet would not have his statistical breakout till his junior season.
As a junior, he became a solid part of the Fighting Irish offense finishing second on the team with 43 receptions, second in receiving yards with 515, and second with six receiving touchdowns. This is all after suffering a broken collarbone in August that limited his start to 2019.
THE FILM
Our DLF Film Crew has done a great job of compiling a few different games of Kmet’s that give you a glimpse into the prospect you are drafting in 2020.
Kmet has the classic size and frame that teams look for as an in-line tight end that can attack defenses off the line in play-action and the athleticism to flex out as well.
With his size, you would expect to see better and more consistent run blocking from Kmet. He is much better as a pass game threat. Utilizes his size and length to create passing windows for his quarterback.
He does very well adjusting to the ball in the air. His hands were measured at 10.5 inches at the Scouting Combine. Good speed down the field, and can separate at the second level against linebackers. With his size and athletic ability, he creates a passing window that quarterbacks can exploit. Uses his size to shrug off defenders at contact.
With those massive hands, you would expect him to easily pluck the ball in the air. But, he struggles at times and can see him bobbling catches. Time on the jugs machine should easily rectify this problem. His technique in routes is lacking and he runs very upright in and out of his breaks. He needs further work on his skills as a blocker and time in an NFL strength training program should help with developing further run-blocking strength.
THE MEASURABLES
Measuring in at 6-6 and 262 pounds, he ran a solid 4.7-second 40-yard dash that is good for a 109.6 Speed Score which is 92nd percentile according to data from the Player Combine Performance App on DLF. Hitting a 37-inch vertical is also impressive for his size and position placing him in the 100th percentile.
Looking at his three-cone drill is similar to watching a battleship turning when Kmet runs his routes. His lack of agility shows up in film when running his routes and his 20-yard shuttle is also in the lower tiers amongst his fellow tight ends. This shouldn’t limit him from being a contributor or possibly more.
DYNASTY VALUE
Kmet currently holds a 187.83 ADP ranking in March data, making him a 17th-round draft pick in startup drafts that include rookie players. Among rookies, he is the second tight end being drafted with an ADP near 37.4 in March. Landing and draft capital should impact his overall ADP come draft time for most fantasy players. Tight end premium leagues might push that ADP up but normal leagues should still have a value in him.
CONCLUSION
Kmet, like most rookie tight ends, does not project to be an immediate fantasy contributor. He projects well as an eventual starter who will take some time to develop before truly becoming hitting his full potential. His landing spot could push his development and the scheme he plays in. I project him more as a classic in-line tight end who can exploit play action to get behind linebackers and utilize his athletic traits to either stretch the seam or attack across the field.
As I stated, his game still needs time to develop. He only truly starred for one year at Notre Dame and his run blocking leaves some to be desired. His size and speed are desired traits for plenty of coaches knowing that they can teach up his technique.
Kmet is probably going to be a player you can get on the cheap in your rookie drafts and depending on your league, even cheaper in a year or two when the owner who drafted him originally finally gives up. Kmet is a good stash in deeper fantasy leagues who will be a solid contributor for your team in time.
Pete is a Western Washington University (Go Vikings! Undefeated at Football since 2009!) History grad with a doctorate in dynasty football, from a certificate he bought online. He prefers stats and analytics but realizes film grinding is an important part of the process. Dabbles in "Mild Takes" and believes in the process.
