There were no shortage of issues on offense for the Bears in 2019, but tight end was one of the biggest struggles. Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen both underwhelmed prior to landing on injured reserve, and Chicago will be looking to strengthen the position.
Tight end is arguably the Bears’ biggest offseason need. So much so that Chicago is expected to address the concern both in free agency and the NFL Draft.
With that said, here are five tight end prospects the Bears should watch at the NFL Scouting Combine next week:
1. Brycen Hopkins, Purdue
Perhaps the best fit for Matt Nagy’s offense, Brycen Hopkins is a player the Bears have already had an eye on. Hopkins confirmed that he’d met with Bears scouts at the Senior Bowl, which makes sense given the importance of fixing the instability at tight end.
Hopkins had 830 yards and six touchdowns with Purdue in 2019, which is the kind of production the Bears are seeking from the position. He would be the perfect fit for Nagy’s “U” tight end. He’s a strong route runner and also brings explosiveness to the position.
2. Cole Kmet, Notre Dame
Widely considered the best prospect at his position, Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet is someone the Bears should definitely have their eyes on. Kmet can be a weapon in the passing game and in-line as a blocker, although he projects to fill the “Y” tight end role.
Kmet had 43 receptions for 515 yards and six touchdowns, but he projects to be better in the pros. The knock on Kmet has been his blocking, but aside from that there’s no defining weakness that figures to hurt his draft stock. If Kmet is Ryan Pace’s guy, he’s going to need to use one of his second-round picks to grab him.
3. Adam Trautman, Dayton
Another tight end prospect that the Bears have already shown a strong interest in is Dayton’s Adam Trautman, who put himself on many teams’ radars with an impressive outing at the Senior Bowl. Trautman’s size and quickness are impressive considering his size. Given Trautman projects as an in-line or “Y” tight end, perhaps the Bears should give him a closer look.
Trautman had a career season in 2019 with 70 receptions, 916 yards and 14 touchdowns with the Dayton Flyers. Sure, he’s another “Adam” from a Divison II school, but don’t compare Trautman to Adam Shaheen. He’s different in every regard.
4. Harrison Bryant, Florida Atlantic
The Bears will have their pick of tight end prospects in the NFL Draft, including the best tight end in the country last season in Florida Atlantic’s Harrison Bryant. The Mackey Award-winner had 65 receptions for 1,004 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games this year.
Bryant has been referred to as “George Kittle 2.0,” which would be everything the Bears are looking for in a tight end in a Matt Nagy offense. Considering Bryant has discussed wanting to emulate the likes of Kittle and Travis Kelce — the kind of tight ends that would make this Nagy offense flourish — it’s hard not to be intrigued with what Bryant could bring to Chicago.
5. Hunter Bryant, Washington
Another intriguing tight end prospect named “Bryant,” Washington’s Hunter Bryant excelled in his role as the “move” tight end, which made him a matchup problem for opposing defenses. Bryant would figure to serve a similar role in Matt Nagy’s “U” tight end role, as the Bears are looking for production from that position. In 2019, Bryant had 52 receptions for 825 yards and three touchdowns.
But the concern with Bryant is his medical history. He suffered a knee injury in October 2017, then re-injured it the following summer, and finally had surgery to repair it in June 2018, where he played in the final five games. While he was able to play all 12 games in 2019, Bryant’s injury history certainly raises some red flags, especially considering Chicago is struggling with that same thing with Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen.
