Bear Digest

Tight End Whisperers Could Benefit Bears

With a need for extra tight ends and not enough early draft picks for the position, it's good the Bears have two personnel men in charge who have histories of finding good tight ends.

Gene Chamberlain

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General managers like to credit entire staffs when a particular draft pick works out but when success happens over and over with a particular person of the staff involved it goes beyond a team effort.

Someone has an eye for talent in that case.

In 2013, the Kansas City Chiefs drafted tight end Travis Kelce in Round 3 and starting in Year 2 his production edged toward outstanding. In Year 3 it hit phenomenal.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles had a big part in identifying and the selection of Kelce, although he likes pointing to team effort.

In 2018, Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham played a large part in the selection of second-round tight end Dallas Goedert, even though the team had Zach Ertz at the time. While working for the Baltimore Ravens earlier in his career, Cunningham was part of an organization that annually came up with tight ends who were productive as both receivers and blockers. Both Nick Boyle and Maxx Williams were selected by the Ravens while Cunningham worked for Baltimore.

So at the very least, it's reasonable to assume the two new front office chiefs should be able to find a tight end complement for Bears starting tight end Cole Kmet, if not someone to push him for playing time.

NFL teams need at least three viable tight ends and one who can be a strong blocker, partly due to the growth of 12- and 13-personnel packages. Those are the two- and three-tight end sets so many offenses have found useful in attacking modern defenses through the air and on the ground.

The Bears can use one or two more tight ends mainly because Jimmy Graham would seem an unlikely player to bring back at age 36 for the 2022 season and had only 14 receptions last season, anyway.  Jesse James is an unrestricted free agent who barely made a ripple last year with seven catches.

The other Bears tight ends, J.P. Holtz and Jesper Horsted, are limited-use players. Holtz is the blocker and Horsted a receiver but neither excelled to the extent they would cause anyone to seriously predict they will rise above the bottom portion of the roster. Horsted had two catches and Holtz hasn't had one since 2019.

It's always possible the new coaching staff could bring something out of them they didn't show under the old regime but Horsted has 10 catches in three seasons and actually was a wide receiver to begin with, and Holtz hasn't had a reception since 2019.

Although the Bears have other more pressing needs than tight end to use for their draft picks, it's possible they would devote a later pick to the position.

It's especially the case when their personnel bosses have histories of knowing the position. Here's who's expected to be available on Day 3 at the position, where the Bears would be more likely to look.

Jake Ferguson, Wisconsin

At 6-4, 244, he could be a really strong blocking tight end in the NFL merely by adding bulk because he already has the scouts' eyes for his run-blocking technique and tenacity. He does this despite a rather narrow base, according to NFL Draft Bible's scouting report. Wisconsin limited tight end route running to the bare essentials on the route tree so he'd have a lot to learn as far as being a receiver, but does possess pass-catching ability. As much as NFLDB disrespected Ferguson's passing game capability in its assessment, he did haul in 145 passes for 1,618 yards with 13 touchdowns in college. Ferguson is not even regarded as a top 10 tight end on Todd McShay's ranking for ESPN and is someone who could be available later.

Jeremy Ruckert, Ohio State

Justin Fields' old teammate, he wasn't used much as a receiver by coach Ryan Day and had just 28 receptions in his first three years, 27 when Fields was his quarterback. He finished with 54 career catches and 615 yards but was available for red zone strikes and had 12 career TD passes, including nine when Fields was the quarterback. At 6-5, 250, he has the size to be an impact tight end in the NFL but lacks the passing game experience. However, he is viewed by NFL Draft Bible as a potentially dominant blocker who can also lead block out in an H-back role besides blocking in-line.

Daniel Bellinger, San Diego State

Ideal tight end size at 6-6, 255 but another whose blocking in college far exceeded his production as a receiver. He made only 68 catches in four years for 771 yards and five TDs. "Finishes blocks with aggression at times," was NFL Draft Bible's assessment of what he did in the blocking game. As far as receiving, they said he "won't be able to separate." He was used mainly as the sixth blocking lineman in a good running attack.

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Cole Turner, Nevada

He earned the sixth position on Todd McShay's tight end board but only 10th on NFL Draft Bible's largely because of his lack of blocking ability. NFLDB's description might as well have been for Horsted, who had been a wide receiver. They see him as the U-tight end in Matt Nagy's offense, or what others call an F-tight end. "Between the 20s he is unlikely to make it on the field much due to his limitations as a blocker and separator," NFLDB said in a scouting report. However, he is an excellent red zone target who had 111 catches for 1,282 yards and 19 touchdowns the last two seasons as a 6-6, 246-pound target.

Charlie Kolar, Iowa State

Possesses ideal NFL tight end size at 6-6 1/2, 256 pounds with 10-inch hands and a colossal 82 1/2-inch wingspan. What he doesn't have is speed or the scouts would be drooling. NFL Draft Bible's assessment says: "He wins with strength and intelligence rather than athleticism as a route runner." As a result, they see him limited to a low-impact role or as a blocking tight end. Todd McShay had him ranked eighth among tight ends and he had a highly college career with 168 catches for 2,181 yards and 23 TDs.

Cade Otton, Washington

NFL Draft Bible regarded him as a potential Day 2 tight end with excellent route-running ability and hands but at 6-5 1/2, 238 he needs to add bulk. Alex Jensen of NFLDB said of Otton's skills, he "...wins with nuance, IQ and sure-handedness." Other NFLDB scouting reports indicate he often seems to be in the right place at the right time, a heady receiver, and compares him to Austin Hooper. He's not nearly as highly regarded by McShay and ESPN, as they rank him seventh overall at the position. He's been playing the in-line tight end spot where Kmet plays.

James Mitchell, Virginia Tech

A U-type tight end who has good pass-catching ability at 6-3, 242 but is said by NFLDB scouting reports to lack physicality as a blocker. Although he isn't judged as a good blocker technically, he does make tremendous effort and possesses the kind of speed and catching ability to make him a potential second tight end for a team. There are varying views on Mitchell as Mel Kiper at ESPN thinks so highly of him that he believes he could go on Day 2.

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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.

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