There wasn’t much to love about the Chicago Bears offense last season. But despite a plethora of poor showings and rankings among the worst in the league, there were some bright spots.
One of those was tight end Cole Kmet, who, while he didn’t have a breakout season, did increase his production significantly in Year 2. Kmet ranked eighth in targets (93) among tight ends and had 60 receptions for 612 yards but no touchdowns.
With Jimmy Graham no longer on the roster, it’s now Kmet’s show, and he’s expected to take an even bigger step forward in Year 3 with Luke Getsy’s offense.
Pro Football Focus even believes Kmet could be poised for a breakout season in 2022 — and for good reason.
Kmet’s uptick in targets from his rookie season (46) to his sophomore campaign (89) was significant. He took on an elevated role in last year’s passing game, setting the stage for a 60-reception season and career-high 63.4 receiving and offensive grades. Now in Year 3, he has a chance to be a breakout star thanks in large part to questions at Chicago’s offensive skill positions.
While second-year quarterback Justin Fields has the continued emergence of draft gem Darnell Mooney (74.7 grade in 2021) to look forward to, the Bears’ offense is otherwise barren of proven weapons. However, Kmet’s 94.8 receiving grade on medium depth targets (10-19 yards downfield) perfectly plays to one of Field’s passing strengths (78.1 medium passing depth grade) and could be the basis for a breakout in 2022.
There have been plenty of concerns about the Bears receiving corps this offseason, which features just one proven commodity in Darnell Mooney. Although the additions of Byron Pringle and rookie Velus Jones Jr. have plenty of potential.
But that’s good news for Kmet in terms of becoming more of an option in the passing game in Getsy’s offense. Kmet has trained with quarterback Justin Fields and Mooney at times this offseason, and he’s gearing up for what could be a big year for the homegrown tight end.
