Cole Kmet Cracks NFL Network Top 50 For 2020 Draft
Former Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet will get a chance to make a big statement this week at the NFL Scouting Combine. Heading into the combine, Kmet has already caught the eye of NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah.
Jeremiah released his second Top 50 draft list, and this time he had a former Irish player in his breakdown.
The former NFL scout had four players in the Top 50 that were unranked in his last breakdown, and Kmet was one of them, checking in at No. 42.
Here's what Jeremiah had to say about Kmet:
"Kmet has an ideal frame for the TE position. He lines up inline and flexed out in Notre Dame's offense. In the passing game, he has good speed and does a lot of damage working in the seams. He uses his big frame to wall off defenders and pluck the ball in traffic (see Georgia game). He isn't very polished or nuanced at the top of his route. He is at his best when he stays on the move instead of working back to the quarterback. He is physical after the catch, but he doesn't provide much wiggle or elusiveness. In the run game, he can effectively shield and wall off at the point of attack, and he takes good angles working up to the second level. Kmet has been the closer on the Notre Dame baseball team and should make major strides now that he's solely focused on football. Overall, Kmet isn't a dynamic player but he's going to get stronger, and I see him as a reliable, long-term starter at the position."
Of course, a strong performance at this week's scouting combine could start to quiet, if not eliminate, the concerns about his athleticism. It could also be an opportunity for Kmet to display more crisp route running, which is a valid critique of his game.
I recently wrote about what is at stake for Kmet this week, and the areas where his game must improve, and questions he must answer at the combine. You can read that HERE.
Kmet left Notre Dame after his junior season, a campaign in which he made 43 catches for 515 yards. Both totals rank as the sixth-best single-season mark in Notre Dame history. His six touchdowns tied Ken MacAfee’s mark for the most in a season at Notre Dame.
