Top 25 most important Bears in 2022: No. 6 Cole Kmet

Shaw Local is counting down the top 25 most important Bears for the 2022 season.

What makes one player more important than another? That’s subjective, of course. But for our purposes it comes down to this: Are the Bears worse off if this player can’t play? Does this player have untapped potential or past greatness to live up to? Is his story going to be one fans follow closely this season?

For example, Justin Fields might not be the best player on the Bears in 2022 (or maybe he will be), but he certainly is among the most important.

No. 6 Cole Kmet

Position: Tight end

NFL experience: Third season

Last year’s ranking: No. 12

Looking back: In his second NFL season, tight end Cole Kmet took the necessary step forward to a bigger role within the offense. Kmet played 83% of the Bears’ offensive snaps, far more than any other tight end on the roster. After what was an expected slow start as a rookie in 2020, Kmet emerged as the clear No. 1 option at the position in 2021. He totaled 60 receptions for 612 yards and developed a solid chemistry with rookie quarterback Justin Fields.

The down side was that Kmet almost never touched the football in the red zone. He saw just 12 red zone targets and caught only five of them. He did not score a single touchdown all season. For Kmet to become an elite tight end, he has to be a factor near the end zone. The best tight ends are mismatch nightmares in the red zone.

Looking forward: A new offensive scheme under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy should work wonders for Kmet. If the Bears become a little more run-heavy, which is expected, then it will open up opportunities in the play-action passing game. Tight ends seem to thrive in the Kyle Shanahan-style offense. George Kittle is a monster in San Francisco. Green Bay’s Robert Tonyan emerged with an 11-touchdown season in 2020 (before tearing his ACL last year). Another year together with Fields could make all the difference for Kmet. He joined Fields and Darnell Mooney for workouts in Atlanta over the offseason.

If Kmet were to surpass 800 receiving yards that would put him right up there with the top six or seven tight ends in the league. He spent his offseason improving his hands and improving his blocking game, where he will be a key piece to the puzzle. If the 2022 Bears offense is going to have any success, Kmet needs to be heavily involved in both aspects.

Top 25 most important Bears in 2022: No. 6 Cole Kmet

No. 6 Cole Kmet

In case you missed it: Previous installments of the top 25

Sean Hammond