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Trey McBride Talks 2022 NFL Draft, Senior Bowl, Career at Colorado State in Q&A

NFL draft prospect Trey McBride opens up about the 2022 NFL draft, his Senior Bowl experience and his career at Colorado State in this exclusive interview.

Daniel Kelly

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Colorado tight end Trey McBride is the consensus number one tight end in the 2022 NFL draft.

McBride logged 90 catches for 1,121 yards and a touchdown playing in a run-heavy offensive attack at Colorado State.

I recently had the opportunity to interview McBride, as he was training for the NFL scouting combine at Exos’ Arizona location (teamexos.com)

Exos has worked with a good number of high round draft picks over the years get ready for the scouting combine and their NFL careers. They focus preparing athletes in four major areas; mindset, nutrition, movement and recovery.

“I came here because everyone who comes to Exos seems to have great results,” shared McBride. “I loved everything they were doing. They really hone in on the details, teach you everything from the strength portion to the 40, they really hone in on the details so you can really understand what you’re doing, and ultimately I wanted to run faster so I came here to work with these guys. I really love the nutrition aspect of it where you get the diet plan and you eat well and things like that. Really an overall great place and I’ve loved it.”

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Q: In what ways have you noticed a difference in yourself since you started working with Exos?

McBride: “The diet portion of course is phenomenal. You’re eating well, you’re eating good food. I think what you put into your body is what you’re going to get out of your body. You put good things in your body, you’re going to run faster and you’re going to perform better. I’ve really loved that aspect of it as well. It’s been a great couple months here that I’ve had.”

Q: Did you know any players who had worked with Exos in the past? How did you choose them?

McBride: “I just heard kind of through the grapevine, there has been a lot of success that has come from this and the numbers show as well. I toured a couple of the Exos’ facilities and ultimately I decided on the one here in Phoenix. Met a lot of really good people that I’m training with so far. It’s been tremendous.”

Q: In what ways do you think you could come in and help a young quarterback like Zach Wilson if the New York Jets were to select you?

McBride: “I’m a guy who’s a competitor. I’m a playmaker, and most of all, I’m a winner. I would love to play for a young team like them and really do everything I can to get on the field and do everything I possibly can to contribute to a successful team and a winning season. I think I’m a great fit for that and I think that would be a tremendous time. I would love everything about that.”

Q: Did you have a chance to watch the Jets this past season at all?

McBride: “Yeah, you know no, I was at the Senior Bowl as well, where I was coached by the Jets’ coaching staff, which was tremendous. Got to meet a lot of those guys and really get to know the coaches and things like that. It was a great opportunity for me to get coached by NFL coaches, and really get to learn what the Jets do and kind of learn everything they do in an offense and go and do that at the Senior Bowl.”

Q: You showed you are a complete tight end on game film. How did you learn how to block so well?

McBride: “I think growing up with three different brothers, we wrestled around all the time, really got to lean leverage and how to beat those guys up. Ultimately, that was the only way I could get on the field early on my first couple years. I was the guy who had to go in there and do the blocking, and do the dirty work for the guys to catch. I love doing that stuff and feel that’s what kind of separates me from other tight ends. I’m a guy who can do it all. I can catch the ball. I can also be a threat in the run game, and be physical and nasty as well in there.”

Q: What is your best memory you’re going to take away from Colorado State?

McBride: “I think winning the John Mackey Award this past season. Being known as the best tight end in the country is something you can’t ever really take away from me. It’s something really special to me. It’s just so cool to do that. Along side of that, I played all four of my years there at Colorado State with my brother, he was on the team there too. That’s something that’s very special to me as well. Ultimately, winning the John Mackey award is something that brings the most joy to my career there.”

Q: What’s the most important lesson you learned from Colorado State head coach Steve Addazio?

McBride: “The thing I learned most from him is to be tough and physical. We’re a 12-personnel offense, we ran the ball like crazy. He really built his program on toughness, and physicality. I think being durable, accountable and tough was really the things he really engraved in our brains.”

Q: How would your friends best describe you?

McBride: “I think they would describe me as a winner, a competitor and as a guy who loves the game of football, someone you can rely on.”

Q: Did you grow up watching the NFL a lot or the college game?

McBride: “I did grow up watching a lot of football and things like that. More recently, I’ve basically been kind into the college football, that’s where I’ve kind of been, watching a lot of that. Growing up, of course I watched the NFL, that was always big dream of mine. We did watch a lot of that, but not to the extent I watched college football.”

Q: Favorite player growing up?

McBride: “I think my role model growing up was, there’s a tight end from my hometown, who went to Colorado State, and then played in the NFL. His name is Joel Dreessen. He’s a huge role model of mine. He’s a great friend of mine now, someone I really looked up to my whole life. I wanted to be just like him, and here we are in the same shoes that he was in.”

Q: As a tight end, do you have a favorite route you like to run?

McBride: “I feel like I run a lot of really good routes. I feel like I can win on every single one. We ran a big over that we ran a lot this past season. I was very successful on it, caught a lot of balls on it. The stick route is pretty easy. I feel like I can catch that all the time too. I love all the routes. Whatever I need to do, I feel like I’m capable of doing it.”

Q: Is there a tight end in the NFL that you feel you are most similar to?

McBride: “There are so many great tight ends right now, but if I had to choose one, I think George Kittle is the guy I really aspire to be like. He’s one of those guys who can kind of do it all. I feel like I’m kind of the same way. He’s a guy who’s a threat in the run game. He’ll put you on your back in the run game and then go and catch some balls in the pass game. He’s a heck of a player, and someone I look up to and aspire to be like.”

Q: What message would you have for a young kid out there who wants to be an NFL quarterback some day? What advice would you have for that kid?

McBride: “You put your head down and work hard and good things will happen for sure. It doesn’t really matter where you come from. I’m from a small town, went to a smaller college, but ultimately you set the bar high. You work hard and good things will happen to you. I feel that’s kind of the message I have. They’ll find you.”

Q: What was that like working with the Jets coaching staff at the Senior Bowl?

McBride: “That was a tremendous opportunity to get coached by some of the highest coaching in the world. Just getting coached by those NFL coaches and really getting to learn the offense that they run, the terminology that they use. Just being around those guys and learning what they do. Very special. Very unique. Such a cool opportunity to get to be coached by those guys and get to know them.”

Q: Was the offense and the terminology a lot different at the Senior Bowl than what you had been using at Colorado State?

McBride: “The terminology is going to be different from place to place. People call things different things, but ultimately the run scheme and things like that were very similar to what we did. A little bit different terminology, but nothing I couldn’t pick up. It’s all kind of the same stuff, just worded a little bit differently. Picked that up pretty quickly.”

Q: Former NFL tight end and current Jets’ tight ends coach Ron Middleton was said to have delivered an epic pregame speech at the Senior Bowl. Could you tell us a little bit about that?

McBride: “Coach Middleton, it was a lot of fun to be around him. He was the head coach in the game, which was very cool. He’s guy who was able to pump us up and give us what we needed to hear. I had an awesome time learning from him and everything he had to teach. The pregame speech was very cool. He brought a lot of tears and it was just really cool. I was really glad to get to know him.”

Q: Was there anything specific you learned from Coach Middleton?

McBride: “Yeah, he was really helping me with my hand placement, trying to really teach me to get my hands inside better than I was doing. I remember him really trying to help me out with that. That was really cool.”

Q: How do you think you would best fit the Jets’ scheme?

McBride: “I think I’m a guy who can do it all. I can be a physical asset in the run game and then I can go and stretch the field vertically and catch the ball.”

Q: Let’s say a team is on the clock and they are deciding between you and a wide receiver. In your words, why should a team pick you?

McBride: “I’m a guy who can contribute in all three phases of the game. I’m a guy who can be a special teams guy for you. I’m a guy who can really help you in the run game and block guys out on the edge. I can be a threat vertically and catch the ball just like a receiver. I feel like I’m kind of a unique guy who can do a little bit of everything, instead of just the receiver who kind of just catches the ball. I feel like I can help the team in multiple ways.”

Q: “How long have you been playing football?

McBride: “Since about middle school, I started playing tackle football.”

Q: What’s that going to be like on draft day when your name is announced, your phone rings, an NFL GM or a head coach is calling you? Envision that moment for us, what will that moment be like for you?

McBride: “I think it will be a dream come true. As a kid you dream of this your whole life. You want to be playing at the highest level. You want to be a professional athlete. I think when that day comes it will just be a dream come true and something that I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Very special moment for me and my family.” 

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Daniel Kelly
DANIEL KELLY

Daniel spent four years in pro scouting with the New York Jets and brings vast experience scouting pro and college talent. Daniel has appeared in many major publications, including the New York Times and USA Today. Author of Whatever it Takes, the true story of a fan making it into the NFL, which was published in 2013. He has appeared on podcasts around the world breaking down and analyzing the NFL. Currently writes for SI All Lions. You can contact Daniel at whateverittakesbook@gmail.com

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