Any NFL team that identified tight end as a priority in this draft doesn’t have a lot of high-round options. The 2020 crop at the position is considered a particularly shallow class.
Within it, though, Notre Dame’s Cole Kmet has established himself as the group’s best prospect. To get him, a team can’t wait too long, even if he has been pegged as a second-round pick. Supply and demand could drive that draft range up.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. thinks it’ll rise all the way to first-round status.
In his final mock, released Thursday, Kiper has Kmet going No. 30 overall to the Green Bay Packers, who lost primary tight end Jimmy Graham to free agency.
“Kmet is the only tight end with a chance to go in round one, and the Packers could get Aaron Rodgers some help in a pass catcher and blocker,” Kiper wrote ($). “Did you know that Rodgers was the most recent skill position player Green Bay picked in the first round? And that was 2005.”
CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson sees Kmet staying in the second round, but going early. His final two-round mock has Kmet off to his most popular projected destination, the Chicago Bears at No. 43 overall. Kmet is the only Notre Dame player in Wilson’s mock.
“Chicago adds a long-term tight end option in the form of Kmet,” Wilson wrote. “He draws some Gronk-like comparisons because of his size and strength.”
Kmet is included in the top 50 on most final big boards. ESPN’s Todd McShay ranks him as the draft’s No. 45 overall prospect. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has him at No. 41. One outlier is NBC Sports’ Thor Nystrom, who ranked him as the draft’s No. 3 tight end and 78th-best player.
McShay ranked his top 300 prospects and included eight Notre Dame players: Kmet, wide receiver Chase Claypool (No. 62), defensive end Julian Okwara (No. 64), cornerback Troy Pride Jr. (No. 104), safety Alohi Gilman (No. 142), defensive end Khalid Kareem (No. 148), running back Tony Jones Jr. (240) and safety Jalen Elliott (273).
Jeremiah put five Notre Dame players in his top 150 prospects: Kmet, Claypool (No. 72), Okwara (No. 110), Kareem (No. 117) and Gilman (No. 143).
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