Colorado State tight end Trey McBride headlines a position that is on the weaker side in comparison to past years. He’s among the closest to being a traditional Y in the 2022 NFL Draft, but it is his receiving chops that suggest he should be a Day 2 selection.
Height: 6-foot-3 5/8
Weight: 245 pounds
40 time: 4.56 seconds (3/30 pro day)
In 2019, as a true sophomore, McBride finished with a 45-560-4 stat line to garner first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors. During the abbreviated 2020 season, he averaged 82.5 yards and a TD per game over four appearances.
McBride won the John Mackey Award in 2022 as the nation’s best tight end, also earning recognition on the Associated Press first-team All-American roster as well as the Mountain West all-league team.
Table: Trey McBride NCAA stats (2018-21)
*includes postseason/bowl games
He caught 90 passes in 2021 to lead FBS tight ends but scored only once — not entirely his doing, thanks to system and quarterback limitations. For context, CSU’s leading scorer had just five TD grabs.
Pros
- Highly productive senior season rightfully earned him universal praise and accolades
- Can line up as a classic Y tight end or flex into the slot, offering system versatility
- Showed trick-play potential by rushing a fake punt for a 69-yard touchdown on his final collegiate snap
- Large hands and can pluck the ball away from his body with little effort, especially in stride
- Fluidly tracks the ball without slowing and continues his stride down the field
- Willing and earnest blocker — the leverage at 6-foot-3 is particularly helpful vs. taller edge rushers
- Solidly built frame with even thickness and distribution
- Capable of bulling through defensive backs for extra yardage and has just enough speed to catch players off-guard
- Consistently solid across the board — not exceptionally great at anything but does everything well
- Good understanding of the route tree and looks to be at his best on intermediate breaking routes
- Effective release off the line of scrimmage
- Excellent concentration and focus on reeling in passes — traffic rarely affects him
Also see: 2022 NFL Draft Central
Cons
- Needs better technique for hand placement and footwork consistency as a blocker — most of his areas improve stem from blocking responsibilities, so this won’t be as important in some systems
- Isn’t the best at hand fighting during the route or using nuances in body movement to create extra separation against sticky coverage
- Lesser catch radius than some of the larger players at the position
- Limited competition quality could be a concern
Fantasy football outlook
Compelling landing spots for fantasy purposes include the New York Giants (look at what Brian Daboll did with Dawson Knox), Green Bay, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Minnesota and Seattle. Indy really makes a great deal of sense with the system fit, a lack of tight end talent, and the desire to put more weapons around Matt Ryan.
You’ll see several comparisons, but one of the more intriguing players on paper is George Kittle as their physical measurements are eerily similar. The major difference is Kittle’s lower body is more explosive, which is what will ultimately set them apart.
Another comp that is closer in some ways: former New York Jets tight end Dustin Keller. While the former Purdue playmaker’s career wasn’t particularly productive, his personal best in the pros was a respectable 65-815-5 line.
The NFL has seen a recent bump in production from tight ends out of the gates vs. historical results, so it’s time to start thinking more optimistically about the position’s rookies from a fantasy perspective.
System fit and the personnel around McBride will go a long way in determining his fake football worth. The long-range outlook — strictly from a talent perspective — suggests sound starter potential from the former Ram. His Year 1 value is more dependent upon the situation, and we’ll revisit that during our live coverage of the draft.
McBride ideally fits into an offense that allows him to flex to the slot more often than not but also relies on his inline traits. He has the potential to be a true three-down tight end.
He doesn’t have the elite size or speed of some more highly touted tight ends in recent memory, but there’s little reason he cannot develop into a reliable fantasy football asset even in a decent setting for his attributes alone.
It’s not a stretch to expect McBride can become a consistent performer in the TE5-TE10 range. He isn’t Kittle, nor will he ever be, but annual production as a TE7 or so isn’t anything to scoff at from this volatile position.
