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Trey McBride

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Trey McBride

By: Nate Christian (@NateNFL)

Position: TE 

College: Colorado State 

Height: 6’ 4” 

Weight: 246lbs 

Age: 22 

247 Rating: 0.8311 (3 stars) 

The Rundown: 

Widely considered the best tight end in the 2022 NFL Draft class, McBride boasted a productive college career in the Mountain West and now is on his way to the pros. Known as both a blocker and a receiving threat, McBride brings a lot to table for a NFL team to get him on the field right away. Once he gets on the field what is McBride’s potential? Does he have the potential to be one of the top at his position, or will he join the crowded mid-tier of tight ends in dynasty? 

College Production: 

After a year on the sidelines, McBride showed out his sophomore year and immediately became one of the more productive TEs in college football. He put together 45 catches for 560 yards and four touchdowns, ending his season with a 9/101/1 stat line against Boise State in the last game of the season. During a COVID-shortened season in 2020, he put together 22/330/4 in just four games. It should be noted that the team only threw four touchdowns in those four games. He finished off his college career with a very impressive senior year, totaling 90 catches for 1,121 yards and a touchdown.  

Strengths: 

  • Physical in All Areas 
  • There are no issues with initiating contact and staying upright through the middle of the field with McBride. He brings a bit of that old-school temperament to the tight end position and teams love to see that. Whether it’s along the line of scrimmage or in contested catch situations, McBride does not shy away from physicality and knows how to use his body to beat defenders in the air. 
  • Secure Hands 
  • A true “security blanket”, McBride only had six drops during his college career. He’s trustworthy across all areas of the field, whether it’s deep and outside the numbers or between the hashes near the first down marker. The CSU offense may not have been prolific, but McBride was constantly the best and safest option for that passing attack. 
  • Great Blocker 
  • A prospect who will be on the field Day 1, McBride offers versatility and the ability to play snaps throughout the whole game regardless of the score. He’s been seen outside or in the slot, but most often he was used as an in-line tight end. He’s a prototypical all-around tight end who can set the edge, but also make the defense pay on play action. You have to be on the field to score fantasy points and McBride should have no issue with finding snaps. 

Weaknesses: 

  • Lack of Elite Athleticism  
  • McBride is a very safe option for a NFL team to take a swing on. He offers upside in the passing game as well as an option to add an extra blocker in run situations. But there is a chance that McBride ends up being a better NFL player than asset for your dynasty team due to his lack of elite athleticism. On film, he has enough speed to get through the motions, but he won’t blow you away with his agility to acceleration. A solid option, nonetheless, just don’t expect him to be someone he is not. 
  • Play Ends Where He Catches 
  • In college, McBride averaged about 13 yards per catch, overall solid numbers for a tight end. He’s a safe option for the quarterback but he’s unlikely to offer the ability to make defenders miss once he has the ball in his hands. He isn’t a burner and while he has enough speed and physicality to open up the seam, he isn’t going to outrun many linebackers once he’s found space. 

Things to Watch: 

At the NFL Combine, McBride opted out of running the 40-Yard Dash, but still bench pressed 18 reps of 225 and showed off a solid vertical of 33 inches. At his pro day he ran a reported 4.56 and teams will be very happy with that. While I’m not sure that track speed is parallel to his in-game speed, it does show that he was able to train and get good results out of the pre-draft drills.  

Projected Round/Contract:   

McBride will likely hear his name called during Day 2 of the NFL Draft. My expectation would be somewhere in the second round, he’ll find a home. McBride may lack some of the athletic upside that other TEs have offered in the past, but the fact that he is pro-ready should get a couple of teams excited about finding a plug & play player. If he goes near the end of the second round, we can expect a four year deal averaging about $1.5 to $1.7 million a year. 

Team Fits:   

While many people may be excited about the sudden rise of Albert Okwuegbunam ($1,011,011), the Broncos may want to bring in some competition to make sure their offense is completely ready for Russell Wilson ($35,000,000). While this may be a bit of a damper for fantasy football purposes, McBride would fit well into that team’s offense and could be very effective in the red zone, similar to how Robert Tonyan ($3,750,000) was used in Nathaniel Hackett’s offense in Green Bay. 
 
Many teams that need tight ends in this year’s draft already have franchise quarterbacks, and that’s what you love to hear when you’re investing in one of these young tight ends with your rookie picks. Another team that seems desperate for a solid player there would be the Los Angeles Chargers. Justin Herbert ($6,644,688) has shown that he will throw to the position often and McBride would have no issues finding a role in a position group that currently boasts Gerald Everett ($6,000,000), Tre McKitty ($1,196,463), and Donald Parham ($895,000). 

Make sure to follow Nate Christian over on Twitter at @NateNFL and check out all the work he is doing with the Dynasty Rewind (@DynastyRewind). 

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