Colorado State TE Trey McBride

6-foot-4
246 pounds

Yahoo Sports' 2022 NFL draft grade

5.66 — possible third- or fourth-rounder; contributor potential

TL;DR scouting report

Consistent, reliable seam option in the receiving game with surprising speed, and the blocking effort is there, but not much dynamism to his game

The skinny

A 2-star Rivals recruit in the Class of 2018, McBride committed to the Rams over some Power-5 programs and saw time immediately, playing in all 12 games (five starts) and catching seven passes for 89 yards and a 48-yard touchdown (at Florida in his debut) and rushing twice for 3 yards. In 2019, he logged 45 catches, 560 yards and four touchdowns in 12 games (11 starts).

McBride started all four games, catching 22 passes for 330 yards and four scores. In 2021, he was named the John Mackey Award winner, catching 90 passes for 1,121 yards — both leading all FBS tight ends — with one TD. McBride participated in the 2022 Senior Bowl and caught a TD in the game.

Upside

• Solidly built frame with surprising speed, strength

• Large mitts (10 1/8-inch hands) to secure the ball and help as blocker

• Offers some surprising quickness, late separation in intermediate routes

• Was his team's offensive centerpiece — 38% of his team's catches last season

• Ran a full route tree like you'd expect from focal-point TE

• Works back to the ball and provides nice, big target

• Adjusts pretty well to balls outside his frame

• Doesn't gear down to catch the ball

• Threat after the catch — averaged 5.5 YAC over four years

• Consistently good hands — only six career drops on 225 targets

• Operates well in traffic — thrives in the middle of the field

• Never played in wide-open, prolific college passing game

• Gives good effort as blocker, especially in the run game

• Versatile — lined up in-line, wide, in the slot, in backfield

• Intense competitor with selfless, winner's mentality

• Durable and reliable — rarely misses time, plays through pain

• Willing, active special-teamer — played on coverage units, ran 69-yard fake punt in bowl game

• Two-time team captain — respected leader at CSU

Downside

• Lacks length — 6-foot-3 5/8 with 32 1/2-inch arms

• Smaller catch radius than you ideally want at the position

• Doesn't have mass, power to move people in the run game

• Blocking prowess has its limits

• Route running is vanilla, with little deception

• Not shifty or elusive — doesn't make people miss

• Runs hard after the catch but doesn't break many tackles

• Doesn't offer much as a screen receiver — needs space to make hay

• Biggest production games tended to come vs. lesser competition

• Two fumbles in final college game

• Bottled up as red-zone target in 2021 — only one TD

• 11 penalties in final 16 games — guilty of lot of holds, wiping out some big gains

Best-suited destination

There's a place for him as a "U" tight end (think Travis Kelce's role in Kansas City), although McBride is never going to be that dynamic a receiver. He also can line up as the "Y" (in-line) or "move" tight end, and likely will give a team solid production in time as a middle-field receiver who can earn the tough yards. McBride also has enough blocking grit to be serviceable in that department, along with quality special-teams contributions. He's a low-end TE1 or a very good TE2 for a team using ample "12 personnel" packages.

Did you know

McBride's older brother, Toby, was a defensive end who lettered for six years with the Rams, finishing up the same time as Trey. His twin brother, Dylan, was a wrestler at Western Colorado.

Player comp

Hayden Hurst

Expected draft range

Rounds 2-3