Bears go local, draft TE Cole Kmet with 43rd pick; take Utah CB with 50th pick
Cole Kmet's NFL dream came true Friday night.
Kmet, a 2017 St. Viator graduate who just completed his junior season at Notre Dame, was selected by his hometown Chicago Bears with the 43rd pick.
The 6-foot-6, 260-pound tight end was ecstatic to hear his named called on the NFL Draft show, which was done virtually and aired by ABC
"This is awesome," Kmet told the Daily Herald moments after the pick was announced. "This is just great."
With their 50th pick, the Bears filled a big need by drafting Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson.
Over three seasons with the Utes, Johnson was targeted 190 times on 1.256 coverage snaps. He allowed just 93 catches for 1,009 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. He never allowed an opponent passer rating higher than 57.6, and last season, on passes of 10 or more air yards, he gave up just 4 receptions on 31 targets.
The Bears look to Kmet to help charge up their offense.
Bears tight ends combined for just 395 yards last season and none had more than 91 all year. They now have 10 on their roster after taking the sure-handed Kmet, who started 11 games as a junior last season after missing the first two because of a broken collarbone and caught 43 passes for 515 yards and 6 touchdowns.
Also a standout baseball player who at one time was a top MLB prospect, Kmet was a Daily Herald All-Area baseball captain and athlete of the year in 2017, after leading St. Viator to the Class 3A state championship.
The White Sox showed interest in drafting him out of high school. He even worked out for them at their ballpark.
He appeared in 30 games as a relief pitcher at Notre Dame during his freshman year but was limited to eight games his sophomore year due to an elbow injury.
With the Bears, he will get to work with one of this generation's most accomplished tight ends in Jimmy Graham. Chicago signed the veteran, hoping the five-time Pro Bowl pick can regain the form that made him a star for New Orleans and Seattle before getting released by Green Bay.
Kmet said he models his game after Rob Gronkowski. Either way, the Bears are banking on bigger things.
Kmet was home in Arlington Heights, where he recently moved, with his immediate family and girlfriend when he got the call. It got disconnected and so did a FaceTime attempt before coach Matt Nagy gave him the news.
"Yeah I know they've been looking for a tight end to fit in the room and stuff," Kmet said. "And I know they just signed Jimmy, and I think I'm a little different type of player than Jimmy in terms of how I play and how I can be used."
Kmet's father, Frank, a 1988 Hersey graduate who led the Huskies to the 1987 Class 6A state title and then played at Purdue, was a fourth-round draft pick by Buffalo in 1992. He didn't make it to an active NFL roster but did land on a couple of practice squads. He signed as a free agent with the Bears in 1993 before being cut.
Cole Kmet's uncle, Jeff Zgonina, graduated from Carmel High School in Mundelein and played in the NFL for 17 seasons with seven different teams from 1993 through 2009. He is a defensive line coach for Washington.
Chicago came into the night with seven selections over the final two days of the draft. The Bears have a fifth-rounder (163), as well as two each in the sixth (196, 200) and seventh (226, 233).
The Bears had to wait a day to make their first pick because they did not have a first-rounder for the second year in a row. They dealt them to Oakland for star pass rusher Khalil Mack before the 2018 season.
The Bears also added to a defense that has excelled in recent years. They signed former All-Pro pass rusher Robert Quinn to take the pressure off Mack.
They addressed one issue in the secondary by drafting Johnson. They could still use a safety to go with Eddie Jackson.
"Just being able to be a part of that defense and add some value to their defense, to their organization, will be big time," Johnson said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.