Trey McBride to Arizona: The Cardinals Get the Clear Top Tight End in the Class
Colorado State Rams tight end Trey McBride was listed at -400 on FanDuel Sportsbook to be the first tight end drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft, and he became just that when the Arizona Cardinals selected him with the 55th overall pick.
After three quiet-ish years, McBride had a truly huge season in 2021 for Colorado State, leading all tight ends in catches (90), yards (1,121) and yards per game (93.4). His 46.3% college dominator rating ranks in the 98th percentile, per PlayerProfiler.
What led to McBride separating as the TE1 in the class, and how does he help the Cardinals' offense?
Player Comparisons
numberFire's Brandon Gdula's draft database has found these 10 prior prospects to have the most similar statistical profiles to McBride’s. Keep in mind that these are based not on play style or traits but age, athleticism, draft equity, experience, efficiency, and production.
| Rank | Trey McBride Profile Comparisons | Similarity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Egnew | 86.3% |
| 2 | Rob Housler | 86.1% |
| 3 | Vance McDonald | 85.9% |
| 4 | Mark Andrews | 84.7% |
| 5 | Vernon Davis | 84.0% |
| 6 | Travis Kelce | 83.5% |
| 7 | Evan Engram | 83.3% |
| 8 | Mike Gesicki | 83.1% |
| 9 | Eric Ebron | 82.5% |
| 10 | Jace Amaro | 82.4% |
Gdula's Take: McBride has elite marks in receiving shares and efficiency, especially if you look at a four-game sample from 2020. He produced in 2021 over 12 games, as well, but his touchdown total fell to just one. That can really skew market shares. McBride also did not run the 40 at the combine. He should be a three-down tight end, and that puts him into great company with some of his comps.
Trey McBride's 2022 Fantasy Football Projection
Gdula’s initial projections for McBride include 30 targets for 19 catches, 218 yards, and 1.9 touchdowns, making him the TE38 for the season.
There are a lot of mouths to feed in the Arizona offense, and rookie tight ends typically are not instant contributors. A long-term fit for the Cardinals, McBride should be a household fantasy football name for the next few years.
On FanDuel Sportsbook, the Cardinals are listed at +2700 to win the Super Bowl and +270 to win the NFC West, and they have a win total projection of 9.5.
