The Green Bay Packers made the decision to move on from veteran tight end Jimmy Graham, releasing him prior to the start of NFL free agency. It was a move that was expected, but also leaves a hole at tight end.
Granted, the Packers do have young tight end Jace Sternberger who could step in as the starter. They also have Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan at the position. However, they could look for a new tight end in the 2020 NFL Draft.
CBS Sports has projected that the Packers will take Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet with the No. 30 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Here is their explanation for the prediction.
Green Bay lost Jimmy Graham then went all in on Austin Hooper, but could not get a deal done. In the first round, they add a young tight end that can grow and be a part of the organization for a long time.
Kmet is the best tight end in the draft class, but he has a lot of work to do. He is far from a completed talent and the Packers may not be able to depend on him to be a huge piece of the offense in 2020.
Last season with the Fighting Irish, Kmet caught 43 passes for 515 yards and six touchdowns. Not bad numbers, but nothing to write home about.
At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Kmet would bring a big body to the Packers’ offense. Aaron Rodgers has always loved targeting tight ends and Kmet would give him a sizable weapon.
NFL.com has compared Kmet to Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee. It is a solid comparison, as Higbee has turned into a legitimate option for the Rams.
All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what the Packers end up doing in the NFL Draft this year. Kmet could be an option, but there are plenty of other directions Green Bay could choose to go. Among them are adding a young talent at wide receiver or inside linebacker.
