Bear Digest

All-NFC North Team: Dependability Not Enough for Cole Kmet

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet has improved each year but not to the point where he makes more receptions or yards than a few other NFC North tight ends.

Gene Chamberlain

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet tries to elude Packers safety Darnell Savage in last year's season finale after a reception in a 17-9 Bears loss.
Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet tries to elude Packers safety Darnell Savage in last year's season finale after a reception in a 17-9 Bears loss. / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

Over the last three seasons, no one on the Bears has caught more passes than Cole Kmet.

Kmet's 183 receptions in that period testify to his consistency as a target, once he had established himself within two different offenses.

Kmet doesn't put up the really big catch numbers like T.J. Hockenson has in Minnesota and Detroit, and like Sam LaPorta did last year in Detroit, but he doesn't need to do this within the Bears offense this year.

With Gerald Everett added to a deep and strong target mix, and a strong blocker available at the position in 40-year-old Marcedes Lewis, the season for Kmet can become one of quality over quantity.

He could have more of a chance to look like the catch-and-runaway-truck tight end he was at Notre Dame than the the "Y" position shorter-yardage receiver and red zone threat.

Kmet hit 12.0 yards per catch in his final college season but has never been higher than 10.8 in the NFL and averages 10 for his NFL career.

So far, Kmet has had a career living up to the contract extension of $50 million for four years he received last year, a career that definitely puts him in the top third of tight ends in the league.

It's not the type of career to land him any Pro Bowl spots, however, or even a spot on the preseason All-NFC North team. The competition there includes two tight ends who must do the kind of work many wide receivers are required to do.

Consistency and dependability are the two words to describe Kmet's game. With all the targets now available to Caleb Williams, Kmet's overall numbers only figure to go down this year, but it doesn't mean his dependability needs to decline.

"Obviously confidence for me has just been growing from year to year," Kmet said.

Neither LaPorta nor Hockenson ever posted an 81.1% catch-to-target ratio like Kmet did last year, and it's a figure he has improved every season he's been in the league. The Bears' passer rating when targeting Kmet in the last two years has been 105.0 and 112.9, And this was from quarterbacks who had combined overall passer ratings of 82.2 and 80.3.

Within the NFC North, only Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (16) has more touchdown catches over the last two seasons than Kmet. Kmet's 13 TD catches is the same number Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson made and three more than any other division tight end in that period.

-Gene Chamberlain, Bears On SI

Sam LaPorta

LaPorta wasted very little time adapting to the NFL world, as he had a record-setting rookie campaign in 2023. It was enough to earn him preseason All-NFC North status over T.J. Hockenson. He proved to be an exceptional piece within the offense and was ahead of the curve as a run-blocker. While his numbers in college weren’t ideal in Iowa’s struggling offense, he performed at an elite level in his first NFL season.

The Lions elected to not add an external free agent at the wide receiver position after the departure of Josh Reynolds, so even more targets could be coming LaPorta’s way in 2024. He proved himself worthy of this workload after an 86-catch debut season.

He has reliable hands as well as yards after catch ability, which makes him a big play threat. Additionally, LaPorta demonstrated an excellent rapport with Jared Goff throughout the 2024 campaign. He gives the offense a solid security blanket when other options such as Amon-Ra St. Brown are taken away.

Last season, LaPorta was a second-team All-Pro selection. He is the latest tight end to be successful after playing collegiately at Iowa, joining fellow NFC North standout and former Lion T.J. Hockenson. He appears poised for another big year in 2024.


-John Maakaron, Lions On SI

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KEENAN ALLEN'S SURPRISING RANKING AMONG 30-AND-OLDER PLAYERS

2024 Preseason All-NFC North

QB: Jared Goff, Detroit Lions

RB: Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

WR: Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings

WR: DJ Moore, Chicago Bears

Slot WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions

TE: Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions

LT: Coming July 13

LG: Coming July 13

C: Coming July 13

RG: Coming July 13

RT: Coming July 13

DT: Coming July 15

DT: Coming July 15

Edge: Coming July 15

Edge: Coming July 15

LB: Coming July 17

LB: Coming July 17

LB: Coming July 17

CB: Coming July 19

CB: Coming July 19

SCB: Coming July 19

S: Coming July 21

S: Coming July 21

K: Coming July 23

P: Coming July 23

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.