Cole Kmet Continues To Get First-Round Attention
The more buzz you hear about former Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet the more it becomes obvious why the talented pass catcher made the decision to leave for the NFL.
A mock draft without Kmet in the first round is a surprise at this point, and the latest to place the standout tight end in the first round is from Scott Wright at Draft Countdown.
Wright has Kmet going to the New England Patriots at No. 23 overall.
"A lack of playmakers on offense was an Achilles heel for the Pats, with their failure to to add any semblance of a replacement for Rob Gronkowski especially problematic. Look for New England to learn from that mistake and make a concerted effort to surround Tom Brady with weapons in his waning years. This is a relatively uninspiring year for tight end prospects but Kmet is the cream of the crop and should come off the board in the Top 50 picks. Durability is a concern with Kmet but when healthy he’s proven to be a well-rounded threat, excelling as both a pass catcher and blocker. To put his skill set in perspective, Kmet is somewhat of a cross between former Fighting Irish standouts Kyle Rudolph and Tyler Eifert. There is still some untapped upside as well since Kmet will now focus solely on the gridiron after splitting time as a pitcher on the baseball team in college."
Despite missing the first two games of the season, Kmet caught 43 passes for 515 yards and six touchdowns. Kmet had the fifth-best single-season receptions mark and sixth-best single-season receiving yards mark for a Notre Dame tight end. Kmet’s six touchdown receptions tied for the most ever by an Irish tight end in a single season.
Kmet finished his Notre Dame career with 60 receptions for 691 yards and six scores.
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