Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update: Cole Kmet, TE CHI

The NFL Draft is behind us, rookie drafts are taking place, and as dynasty owners, we are looking ahead to the upcoming season. In the Dynasty Fantasy Football Rookie Update series, we break down all the incoming fantasy-relevant rookies, looking at their profile and where they fit.

Name: Cole Kmet

Position: Tight end

Pro Team: Chicago Bears

College Team: Notre Dame

Draft Status: Round two, 43rd overall

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS

COMBINE REVIEW

• Height: 6’6’’
• Weight: 252 pounds
• Hands: 10.5″
• 40-yard dash: 4.70 seconds
• Bench press: N/A
• Vertical jump: 37.0”
• Broad jump: 123”
• Three-cone: 7.44 seconds
• 20-yard shuttle: 4.41 seconds

STRENGTHS

• Size – looks the part
• Strong 40 time at his size
• Best vertical and second-best broad jump at combine
• Hands catcher – makes tough catches
• Good ball adjustments
• Finds soft spots in zones
• Fights for every yard
• Red zone threat
• Featured in the passing game
• Can block when called upon

WEAKNESSES

• Not a power blocker
• Could use NFL level strength
• More time as a pass-catcher than run blocker

OPPORTUNITIES

Cole Kmet was a four-star, top-100 recruit coming out of St Viator high school in Illinois. He landed just a couple of hours from his hometown of Lake Barrington, Illinois in South Bend to play for the Fighting Irish.

Kmet played both baseball and football his freshman season, but transitioned to football only in his second year. Kmet also became a bigger part of the Notre Dame offense in his sophomore season and then fully took the reins in his junior year.

Statistics from sports-reference.com.

Kmet again landed not too far from home when the Chicago Bears drafted him 43rd overall. The Bears have had some serious issues at the tight end spot. Two big failed experiments have marred production at the position. They signed Trey Burton to a four-year, $32 million contract that the Bears cut short after another disappointing, injury-plagued season from the former Eagle. The Bears also wasted a second-round pick in 2017 on Adam Shaheen, who never really materialized.

This all means that the doors are wide open for a tight end ready to get things done. Kmet should have every opportunity to be a key part of the Bears offense in 2020 from the very first snap. Matt Nagy’s offense would love to finally have a productive tight end (a la what he had with Travis Kelce as the offensive coordinator in Kansas City) and perhaps Kmet is that answer.

THREATS

Kmet landed in a great spot, but he’s not the only shot the Bears are taking to try to fill that position. Also joining him in the tight end room is the now venerable ghost of Jimmy Graham. (If only you had told me five years ago the Bears signed Graham… but I digress.) The Bears also inked Demetrius Harris, formerly of the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs. In all, there are actually nine tight ends on the Bears roster, though perhaps only Graham has a starting job locked in.

There is also a question around the Bears’ recent struggles at the position. Is it more about a lack of talent and injuries at the position, or is there a larger problem related to how tight ends are being utilized in Nagy’s offensive scheme? My gut tells me the scheme really wants to feature the tight end, just as Nagy did with Kelce, but the Chiefs also had the top tight end in the league to work with.

Kmet’s biggest threat, however, might be about who is throwing him the football. He will need to contend with huge question marks at the quarterback position. Your guess is as good as mine as to who will win the starting job between perennial disappointment Mitchell Trubisky and old newcomer Nick Foles. And even if you knew who takes the snaps, you’d still have to wonder if they were any good.

SHORT-TERM EXPECTATIONS

Kmet should be very high on the depth chart from the word go. His snap share will likely depend on how quickly he can pick up the Nagy scheme, and how quickly he can adjust to NFL-level competition. One boon for Kmet in this area is he grew up a Bears fan and might have a little more juice because of that.

Another short-term benefit may be sharing the room with Graham. If anyone knows the fundamentals of playing a pass-catching tight end, Graham would be the guy. Hopefully he’s in a position where he’s willing to pass on some of that knowledge to the green Kmet.

Kmet should contribute in his rookie year, but whether he can be a strong contributor out of the gate is questionable. If the Bears can utilize him properly, he could have a shot to be productive very quickly. It’s all about development time.

LONG-TERM EXPECTATIONS

Kmet has all the tools to be a great success at the tight end position in the NFL. He has a good size and speed combo, a body that can get stronger, great hands and the foundation of a good blocker. Long-term, Kmet has the tools to be top five at the position if everything goes right.

Whether the Bears can do that is a big question mark. Nagy’s scheme can get a lot out of the position, but who knows what the future holds at quarterback.

NFL PLAYER COMPARISON

Let’s be honest, comparing players isn’t the more natural thing in the world. Comparing young college players with players who have gone through the NFL ringer is tough. The game at this level is far beyond what they saw in college, and you never know how things would shake out.

There’s one player who had similar size, a similar 40 time, great hands like Kmet, and just looked good on the field in a similar way for me: Hunter Henry. Henry never blew anyone away with gargantuan size or blazing speed, but he had everything in the right doses to be successful. His only real problem has been injury and legend Antonio Gates who refused to retire in San Diego. Kmet also compares favorably to TJ Hockenson in both size, speed and hands, though Hock is more agile than Kmet, while Kmet is a little heavier than Hock.

PROJECTED ROOKIE DRAFT RANGE

DLF’s Rookie ADP has Kmet as the 33rd rookie off the board, placing him in the late third or early fourth round. This is not a rookie tight end class that has many folks salivating as in years past, with most judging it average. Kmet didn’t get the notoriety that previous hot prospects at the position have received, like OJ Howard. Then again, who wants OJ Howard?

I believe tight end to be the most difficult position to scout. There’s a versatility needed that isn’t easy to evaluate. You need some speed, a dash of good hands, a smattering of blocking, and a healthy dose of football IQ to succeed, and they have to be in just the right combination.

If you’re looking for a tight end in the third, you would be smart to pick up Kmet. There’s another recent tight end who went in the late third or early fourth by the name of George Kittle. This time next year, don’t be the guy asking yourself why you didn’t spend the 3.7 on Kmet.