10 best players available after Round 1 of the NFL Draft

5. TE Cole Kmet, Notre Dame

As a whole, the tight end group isn’t viewed too positively in this season’s NFL Draft. Cole Kmet from Notre Dame though, is clearly a cut above the rest. He will be the first tight end selected, but no one really knows when. Some saw him as a first-rounder but others say late in round two. It’s just such a tough position to gauge in 2020 as he won’t be a true star like Rob Gronkowski, George Kittle or Travis Kelce. That player doesn’t exist in this draft.

For the Fighting Irish, Kmet caught 43 passes for 515 yards and six touchdowns in 2019 after missing the first two games of the season with a broken collarbone. He was a two-sport athlete at Notre Dame, saving 18 games for the baseball team before deciding to focus on football.

NFL.com analyst Lance Zeirlien gives a great overview of Kmet’s game:

"“Long bodied, early entry Y tight end prospect who is a better pass threat than run blocker at this stage. Kmet should continue to fill out his frame, but his run blocking is too scattered and needs better focus and efficiency as a pro. He can be jammed and slowed by early contact into his route, but once he’s striding, he becomes a legitimate second-level threat with sneaky separation speed and intriguing ball skills. He’s still developing and could be a slow starter headed into the league, but he has the talent to eventually become a solid starter as a pass-catching in-line tight end with the ability to mismatch from the slot with his size.”"