Cole Kmet expected to play a larger role for Chicago in 2021

In recent years, former Notre Dame tight ends have had high expectations for their first NFL seasons. Cole Kmet’s rookie year in Chicago showed he can be a problem for opposing defensive coordinators, and NFL Network’s Cynthia Frelund projects he will have an even bigger second year for the Bears.

The Chicago native returned home after the Bears selected him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. In his rookie year he had 28 receptions for 243 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Kmet spent the early part of the season behind starter and veteran Jimmy Graham but took on a larger role as the season progressed. 20 of Kmet’s 28 catches came in the last five games of the season. 

“On 11 targets of 10-plus air yards, per Next Gen Stats, Kmet had an average of just 1.6 yards of separation to work with last season,” Frelund said. “On 33 targets of fewer than 10 air yards, he averaged 4.2 yards of separation. What does this mean? Two things, really. The first is that there’s an opportunity for him to improve on downfield passes — which his QB, whoever that ends up being, will appreciate and leverage. But it also means that he’s efficient close to the line of scrimmage.”

In addition to needed improvement on downfield passes, Kmet will look to limit rookie mistakes like the costly fumble he had in Week 17 against the Packers. Hopefully for the Bears, those little things will be cleaned up after Kmet has had a full, relatively normal offseason which included time spent at Tight End University. The three-day program took place in Nashville in June. Tight ends from across the NFL gathered to share advice. Kmet got a front row seat to learn from George Kittle, Travis Kelce and Greg Olsen.

How will Kmet fit into the Bears’ scheme this season?

Last week, Jeff Dickerson of ESPN NFL Nation’s Chicago Bears page reported that Kmet’s role will become more substantial this season.

Matt Nagy anticipates second-year TE Cole Kmet's role increasing in 2021.

— Jeff Dickerson (@DickersonESPN) July 28, 2021

Graham admitted that he considered retiring after last season but ultimately decided to return to Chicago. While Kmet will still be competing with him for targets, the shift in responsibility at the end of the 2020 was clear and is unlikely to shift back dramatically. 

Another big factor determining exactly how big of a role Kmet will have is the quarterback competition. How early will Justin Fields get the starting job? Further, Nagy has signaled he wants to have David Montgomery heavily involved in games with 20+ carries, which would limit Kmet’s pass-catching opportunities. 

Cole Kmet was the 13th tight end drafted out of Notre Dame since 2000. While in South Bend, Kmet had pedestrian freshman and sophomore seasons. His junior campaign began with a broken collarbone but ended with 43 receptions for 515 yards and six touchdowns. The six touchdown catches tied former first-round pick Ken MacAfee’s single-season touchdown record amongst Notre Dame tight ends.

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