USAT: Jets Wire audio clip

USAT: Jets Wire

Feb 3, 2022

Colorado State tight end Trey McBride spent the final two seasons of his college football career playing in a stone-aged offense, but he managed to make the most of his opportunities and worked his way onto NFL draft boards. - The Rams heavily emphasized running the ball under veteran head coach Steve Addazio. Passes were attempted few and far between, with Addazio turning to his ground game on first and second down more often than not. McBride was the focal point of Colorado State’s “throw game” as Addazio called it, though, and showcased a diverse skill set as a route runner and playmaker whenever he could get his hands on the ball. - McBride exploded onto the scene in 2021, catching 90 passes — the most of any tight end in the nation — for 1,121 yards and one touchdown. Most of McBride’s work came on short and intermediate underneath routes, as he was left to make plays after the catch. - That plays for the tight end-needy Jets as they search for an answer at the position. - New York got next to nothing out of its tight ends last season. Tyler Kroft couldn’t stay on the field and wasn’t effective when he was healthy. Ryan Griffin was essentially a non-factor before his season ended due to injury and Trevon Wesco hasn’t been a factor since the day he was drafted. Prized undrafted free agent Kenny Yeboah struggled to catch the ball during the spring and didn’t manage to crack the active roster until late in the regular season. - Tight end is a crucial position in Mike LaFleur’s west coast offense. The Jets got enough out of their running backs — namely Michael Carter — to have a viable play-action passing game, but that was a non-starter with no strong pass-catching tight end on the roster. - McBride has the ability to change that and give Zach Wilson a target he can turn to in play-action situations. - “I can do it all,” McBride said at the Senior Bowl when asked about fitting in the Jets’ scheme, per ESPN’s Rich Cimini. “And I’m a winner.” - McBride didn’t do a whole lot of winning at Colorado State — the Rams have won just eight games since 2019 — but he enters the NFL with the kind of mindset Robert Saleh is looking for. That, coupled with his collegiate production, makes him a tight end worth keeping an eye on come April. - The consensus is that McBride will go off the board on the second day of the draft. The Jets have two second-round picks, which could put them in play for a tight end. If that is the case, McBride might be a player LaFleur goes to bat for if he continues to impress during the pre-draft process. - The production and the potential are simply too intriguing to ignore. - - List - - 6 offensive players Jets should focus on at Senior Bowl - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Email - - - - - Sign up - - - - - - - - Like this article? - Sign up for the Jets Wire email newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning - - - - An error has occured - - - Please re-enter your email address. - - - - - - Thanks for signing up! - - - You'll now receive the top Jets Wire stories each day directly in your inbox.

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