FORT COLLINS — The best tight end in the country.
If it wasn’t already clear after winning the Mackey Award and dominating at the Senior Bowl, Trey McBride cemented his status as the top tight end prospect in the 2022 NFL Draft with yet another impressive showing at Colorado State’s Pro Day on Wednesday.
McBride lifted and did the majority of his testing at the NFL Combine earlier this month, so he did not do it all again on campus this time around. After electing not to run the 40 in Indianapolis, Ind., though, there was a lot of anticipation for what type of time McBride might post in front of the scouts on Wednesday.
Trey McBride works some blocking drills during Colorado State’s Pro Day. PHOTO: Ryan Greene | DNVR Rams
Anything below 4.7 seconds would have been acceptable, particularly with the type of on-field resume that he brings to the table. However, anything slower than that would have opened up the door for potential narratives that he lacks speed or explosiveness.
Anyone that’s ever watched McBride play over the years, particularly in person, knows that putting so much stock into what he runs in his underwear was always a little bit silly. Go watch him out-run the entire Florida secondary in 2018, or beat multiple Fresno State defenders down the sideline for a touchdown in 2019, go watch him run for a touchdown on a fake punt against Nevada in 2021 — the point is that he has never been slow. But the reality is that testing plays a big role in the evaluation process, especially for guys that have a chance to go in the first round. So, while Ram Nation already knew what he was capable of, once again McBride had to prove himself for everyone else.
Here's Trey McBride's 4.54 40-Yard Dash. @DNVR_Rams @DNVR_Sports pic.twitter.com/kvJ7QYw6dW
— RG 📷 (@RyanGreeneDNVR) March 30, 2022
Fortunately, in the end it was a whole lot of stress for nothing, because McBride absolutely killed it with a 40-time of 4.54 seconds. And even better — McBride did it on the first try — so he didn’t even have to run twice.
“It’s all that’s been on my mind all week,” McBride said after his workout. “I couldn’t sleep at all last night. I was so eager to come out here and run, and I’m glad that I did.”
In addition to running in front of representatives for 27 teams, McBride also showed off his hands and route-running abilities while doing some light work with Clay Millen throwing him the football.
He did a handful of blocking drills as well, demonstrating up and close that he is not just a pass-catcher, he’s the total package.
Trey McBride catches a pass from Clay Millen at Colorado State’s Pro Day. PHOTO: Ryan Greene | DNVR Rams
“I’ve met with just about all of the teams and a lot of them see me as a really complete guy,” McBride said, before talking about being able to make an impact as a blocker or a receiver. “That’s what I’ve done my whole career here at Colorado State.”
After all that he’s done for CSU, McBride will undoubtedly go down as one of the most popular players to ever don the Green & Gold. He’s also one of the most highly-touted players as far as the NFL Draft cycle goes.
It’s a bit of a guessing game trying to project what the draft order will ultimately be. The only folks that know what NFL teams are truly thinking are the individuals in those WAR rooms across the league. What’s certain at this point is that McBride has done absolutely everything within his power to show that he is worth investing an early pick in. All he can do now is wait it out.
“I’m just eager and excited for what’s next,” McBride said. “You know, I think the hay is in the barn, and now I just have to let history kind of take care of itself. But I’m thankful to be in the position that I’m at. This is a very cool opportunity. A lot of people would want to be in this place.”
