Could Trey McBride complete Washington’s tight end room?

Trey McBride, TE
School: Colorado State | Conference: Mountain West
College Experience: Senior | Age: 22
Height / Weight: 6’4” / 246 lbs
Projected Draft Status: Rounds 2-3

Comp: Austin Hooper/Hunter Henry

College Statistics

Player Overview

Trey McBride was a four-year starter at Colorado State, but really made his presence known during his sophomore season, in 2019. That year he caught 45 receptions for 560 yards and 4 TDs, collecting a first team All Mountain West selection. During his junior year, he was one of two team captains during the abbreviated COVID-19 season, with Colorado State only playing 4 games. McBride led the team in scoring and receiving yardage, with 4 TDs and 330 yards.

McBride’s senior season, in 2021, was a breakout, and was one of the best performances by a tight end in college history. On 90 receptions, McBride had 1,121 yards and a TD, culminating in his selection as Colorado State’s first ever unanimous All American. He also managed to return a fake punt for 69 yards and a TD on the last play of his college career. Among a host of additional conference accolades, McBride was given the prestigious John Mackey Award, handed out to the best tight end in college football. Previous winners include Kyle Pitts, TJ Hockenson, and Mark Andrews.

Strengths

• Already an enthusiastic and effective blocker in college.
• Has very solid hands.
• Has a near ideal TE build.
• Able to be an effective receiver in traffic.
• Skillset is well suited to starting early in the NFL.
• Good route runner.

Weaknesses

• Needs to add strength for top performance in the pros.
• Doesn’t posses top end speed.
• Despite incredible yardage numbers as a senior, didn’t score much.
• Performed against lesser competition.

Let’s See His Work

How He Would Fit

When he’s back fully healthy, Logan Thomas is the Commander’s clear TE1, and John Bates was one of the few rookie bright spots from the 2021 draft. With the departure of Ricky Seals-Jones and the still uncertain future for Sammis Reyes, Washington’s tight end room could absolutely use a developmental option, particularly someone like McBride who appears to possess a potential TE1 ceiling.

As I’ve written in the past about tight ends, their general inability to block well coming out of college presents the most significant impediment to getting on the field for the first two or three years once they enter the pros. McBride, like Bates before him, seems to have that element of his game pretty well established. That means he’s an asset in the run and pass game, even before he catches a ball, and allows him the chance to have meaningful receiving opportunities.

At this point in time, some may view using Day 2 draft capital on a tight end as a luxury the team can’t afford, but the prospect also exists that, if they do draft McBride, the tight end group is effectively locked in for at least the next 3 years, with continually improving talent.