Chicago Bears: Final 53-man roster prediction after training camp

Tight Ends (4)

Who’s in: Jimmy Graham, Cole Kmet, Demetrius Harris, J.P. Holtz,
Practice Squad: Eric Saubert, Jesper Horsted

The tight ends unit had no real contribution in 2019. No tight end even reached 100 receiving yards for the entire season. As a group, they totaled 46 catches for 416 yards and two touchdowns. There were 21 tight ends who had more receiving yards than the entire Chicago Bears unit.

One of those tight ends is now in a Chicago Bears uniform — Graham. He had 447 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He did that and many considered it a down year for him.

Graham hears all the whispers about his troubles with the Green Bay Packers. He didn’t seem like the same player and it appeared that he didn’t want to be there. It’s important to note that the Packers offense doesn’t really depend on the tight end as much as Bears head coach Matt Nagy’s system does. He’s eager to show that there is still something left in the tank.

The Bears used their first draft pick, 43rd overall, on Kmet. They view Kmet as a future star. He soaked up all the information his new mentor, Graham, gave him. He might not break out and do it his rookie season but he has the ability to be the star the coaches expect.

Harris signed as a free agent. He played with the Cleveland Browns last season but spent the previous five seasons with the Chiefs, some of it with Nagy, so he’s familiar with his offensive system. He’ll be more of a help with the offensive line as he is a good blocking tight end. He will, however, be able to help in the red zone. He recorded six touchdowns in the past two seasons.

Holtz will give the other players some rest so they can stay fresh. He’ll also be an insurance policy in case of injury. Expect him to play more on special teams.

This unit really opened eyes in camp. From top to bottom they performed well. If they continue to do well into the regular season the tight ends could go from a liability to an asset.