NFL Draft: Arizona Cardinals Pair a Tight End with Zach Ertz
McBride is the first tight end off the board in the 2022 NFL Draft. He is the most complete of the group, with strong hands, alignment versatility, and good yard after the catchability. The Cardinals gain another weapon to pair with the "Hollywood" Brown acquisition.
Few players have the ability to carry their offense at any level the way that McBride did at Colorado State. Between his blocking ability and pass game use, he was the go-to option on every play.
While his services won't be needed to that degree in Arizona, he will certainly help keep Kyler Murray and the Cardinals' offense happy.
While Zach Ertz is still on the roster, McBride could see significant playing time as the second tight end on the roster. His ability as a blocker and a receiving threat give Murray and the Cardinals' offense another all-around weapon.
"We owe it to the organization to do the right thing, not only today but tomorrow and the future," Keim said. "We have a young quarterback we are excited about, we have a 24-year old receiver we added (Thursday), and we just added a young dynamic playmaker as a tight end. It made sense in every way."
McBride was the highest-graded player left on the Cardinals' board "by far," Keim said when the Cards were picking at 55 overall.
"We did not think this guy would be there," coach Kliff Kingsbury said. "He was way up on our board, way up in our ranking."
