PLAYER PROFILE: Cole Kmet, TE, Notre Dame

Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita (USA Today Sports)

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:

TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF

COLE KMET

HEIGHT/WEIGHT/AGE

6-foot-6
262 pounds
21 years old

BIG PICTURE

Cole Kmet chose football over baseball in college after an elbow injury ended his baseball aspirations. Once he committed to football, became a productive tight end in 2019 for the Irish, catch 43 passes for 515 yards and six touchdowns, earning his way on the Mackey Award Watch List. Kmet is still young, having just turned 21, and may be untapped as a player. His 6-foot-6 frame makes him appealing, and his combine performance was upper echelon. Given some time to develop, Kmet could find a niche.

COMBINE NOTABLES

4.7 40-yard dash (4th)
37-inch vertical (1st)
123-inch broad jump (T-2nd)
7.44 3-cone drill (2nd worst)
4.41 20-yard shuttle (8th)

VIKINGS’ COMPATIBILITY RANKING

1.5 out of 5. Another Notre Dame tight end in the mix? Might be a long shot with Minnesota’s other needs.

HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT DRAFT EXPERTS SAY

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: “Long bodied, early entry Y tight end prospect who is a better pass threat than run blocker at this stage. Kmet should continue to fill out his frame, but his run blocking is too scattered and needs better focus and efficiency as a pro. He can be jammed and slowed by early contact into his route, but once he’s striding, he becomes a legitimate second-level threat with sneaky separation speed and intriguing ball skills. He’s still developing and could be a slow starter headed into the league, but he has the talent to eventually become a solid starter as a pass-catching in-line tight end with the ability to mismatch from the slot with his size.”

Kyle Crabbs, Draft Network: “Cole Kmet surprised with is declaration after initially committing to return for 2020. Kmet is a smooth athlete and, although not the most explosive player, displays a significant size advantage in the middle of the field. Kmet will need to continue to improve upon his blocking and balance at the point of attack but has the frame and functional mobility/strength to be a plus blocker with more consistency on this front. Should be a starter in a traditional TE role with some time to develop.”

WHAT PFF SAYS

Grades under 70 all three years
30% contested catch rate (below average)
Only 21 targets prior to 2019

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE ZONE COVERAGE DRAFT GUIDE:

TOP 100 PLAYER PROFILES
RANKING THE VIKINGS NEEDS
EXPLORING VIKINGS DRAFT TRENDS
A HISTORY OF RICK SPIELMAN’S DRAFT TRADES
VIKINGS TARGETS
LUKE INMAN’S MOCK DRAFTS
SENIOR BOWL CENTRAL
FEATURES FROM OUR STAFF

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