Cole Kmet is looking to become the seventh Notre Dame tight end selected in the NFL Draft during the Brian Kelly era. Barring something absolutely shocking he is expected to go extremely high in this spring’s process. But, exactly how high can he go?

SPECS

Name: Cole Kmet
Position: TE
Height: 6-5 6/8 (from the Combine)
Weight: 262 (from the Combine, a huge weight gain!!)
Hometown: Lake Barrington, IL

STATS

YEAR REC YDS TD
2017 2 14 0
2018 15 162 0
2019 43 515 6
TOTAL 60 691 6

BIO:

It took a while for him to get going but the 2019 season was the type of promise Kmet showed as a recruit and a top 100 prospect from the suburbs of Chicago. As a multi-sport athlete he shared time with the baseball program in 2018 before an injury forced him to sit out the 2019 season to focus exclusively on football.

Kmet played very sparingly as a true freshman before moving into a valuable backup role in 2018. He missed a couple games as a sophomore then wasn’t healthy for the beginning of 2019 prior to breaking out with career-highs (9 catches, 108 yards, 1 TD) against Georgia. Despite some missed time, Kmet finished tied for the 16th most receptions for a tight end in the country and declared early for the NFL following the bowl win over Iowa State.

STRENGTHS:

Ideal size for the NFL. Tremendous hands and good route runner. Kmet is able to box out smaller defenders and use his body well while making plays in traffic. His target to reception ratio is elite for his position. A big, valuable target in the red zone with a terrific catch radius. Runs pretty well down the field and mixes good athleticism with ideal toughness for his position. Often breaks the first tackle for additional yardage.

WEAKNESSES:

Kmet is a very inconsistent blocker. He has the size to be an every-down tight end in the NFL but could take a while to develop his blocking physicality and technique. Good speed but not a major threat to run away from defenders. Uses his physicality well with the ball in his hands yet doesn’t have the dynamic nimble feet expected from the consensus top tight end. Lack of experience and ability to stay healthy could be a concern. His ceiling might not be what you’d expect for someone who could be the first tight end off the board in an era with uber-athletic players at this position. In that vein, more of a traditional tight end from a generation ago.

OVERVIEW:

This is an unusually weak crop of tight ends and Kmet deservedly moved to the top of that group once he declared early for the NFL Draft. He reportedly received a second round grade from the advisory committee which sounds about right for this year’s draft.

Whether its age or experience, Kmet is still pretty raw and any team picking him should understand he may not be an instant impact player from day one. He largely has the tools to develop into a very good starting tight end but may need some time to grow into that role.

PREDICTION:

2nd Round, 37th Overall to the Los Angeles Chargers

Long-time Chargers tight end legend Antonio Gates just retired (he didn’t play in 2019 after briefly being resigned in 2018) leaving behind 955 career receptions and 116 touchdowns while L.A. also didn’t re-sign quarterback Philip Rivers. They have Hunter Henry as their top tight end but he’s struggled to remain healthy. Bringing in Kmet as a backup for a year or two and insurance for the future could be a smart move.

I’m not sure what to think about Kmet weighing 12 pounds heavier for the Combine especially as blocking hasn’t been his forte. The market is the market and yet if he goes in this spot to the Chargers only Ken MacAfee (7th), Tony Hunter (12th), Derek Brown (14th), Irv Smith (20th), and Tyler Eifert (21st) would be selected higher from Notre Dame in the history of the program. Kmet would be going higher than John Carlson (38th), Kyle Rudolph (43rd), Anthony Fasano (53rd), and Dave Casper (45th), and Troy Niklas (52nd).

If Kmet doesn’t move well at his new weight I do think there’s potential for him to fall towards the 3rd round.

More scouting reports to come:

Troy Pride
Tony Jones, Jr.
Alohi Gilman
Jalen Elliott
Julian Okwara
Khalid Kareem
Jamir Jones
Chase Claypool