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Notre Dame Football: Cole Kmet Could Cash in on NFL’s Tight End Trend

By J.P. Scott

EVANSTON, IL - NOVEMBER 03: Cole Kmet #84 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish avoids a tackle by JR Pace #13 of the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half of a game at Ryan Field on November 3, 2018 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
EVANSTON, IL - NOVEMBER 03: Cole Kmet #84 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish avoids a tackle by JR Pace #13 of the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half of a game at Ryan Field on November 3, 2018 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet could benefit from an increase in the value of the tight end position at the NFL level.

You can make an argument that the tight end position has never been more valuable in the NFL than it is right now. Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet is in a position to capitalize off that in 2019.

Kmet steps into the primary role at the position in the Notre Dame offense, replacing Alize Mack. Despite limited production and a relatively disappointing collegiate career, Mack was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 7th Round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

If Cole Kmet can finish the 2019 season with a better overall performance and statistics than what Mack had in 2018, he’ll get drafted as well — and much earlier.

NFL Tight ends are trending up. Over the last three NFL Drafts, 19 tight ends have been taken in the first three rounds — an average of over six per draft on Days 1 and 2.

That should be well within Kmet’s reach.

With the departures of Mack and wide receiver Miles Boykin to the NFL Draft, Notre Dame lost 35 percent of its receiving production in 2018. The top four receivers last season were Boykin, Chase Claypool, Chris Finke and Mack. The top three returning receivers are Claypool, Finke and Kmet.

Suffice to say, someone needs to get those lost targets, and Kmet is the primary candidate to do so. It sounds like Brian Kelly agrees with that sentiment.

Kmet has elite size and athleticism for the position, making him equally as dangerous between the 20s as he can be in the red zone. If he can match his 2019 production with that size and athleticism, there’s no reason he can’t be selected in the first three rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft — should he decide to go that route.

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Given Ian Book’s comfort and familiarity with Kmet — combined with the losses of other top targets — we could be looking at a stat line of around 40 catches for 440 yards and 5 scores. Those numbers would far exceed those of Washington tight end Drew Sample in 2018. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of this year’s draft.

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