I’m a big Trey McBride fan. I think he’s going to lead all tight ends in receptions. I just wish he could come up with a few more touchdowns.
The catches look secure. There’s a rapport there between Kyler Murray and McBride; they’ve been rocking it pretty good for a season and a half.
Some are counting on a big breakthrough season from Marvin Harrison, who was unexpectedly quiet last year (catching only 62 passes in 17 games – 3.6 per week). While I’m sure Harrison will catch a few more balls, I don’t think he’s going to come close to dislodging McBride as the No. 1 guy.
McBride has already established he can do it. With Harrison, I’m not sure he and Murray are a good fit. I don’t think Murray, with his height limitations, is good at throwing the ball on the kind of routes Harrison is best at. They tried to use Harrison as more of a downfield receiver last year, and that’s not really a fit with his game (with him having average or below-average speed).
But touchdowns are what bring us together today. Or lack of them. McBride caught 111 passes last year, yet only 2 of them went for touchdowns. The previous season, McBride caught 81 passes, with only 3 going for touchdowns. (And if we want to dip into his college work, he caught 90 passes and only one touchdown his final season at Colorado State.)
In the 32-team era, 61 times tight ends have caught at least 80 passes in a season. Only one of those guys had a lower touchdown percentage than McBride – Chris Cooley of 2008 Washington. And 2023 McBride, he’s down there too.
So while I believe McBride will catch more passes than any other tight end, I can’t say with any confidence that he’ll be one of the top half-dozen touchdown scorers at the position.
| TOUCHDOWN PERCENTAGES FOR 80-CATCH TIGHT ENDS | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Player | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Pct |
| 2011 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 90 | 1,327 | 14.7 | 17 | 18.9% |
| 2013 | Jimmy Graham, N.O. | 86 | 1,215 | 14.1 | 16 | 18.6% |
| 2004 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 81 | 964 | 11.9 | 13 | 16.0% |
| 2014 | Rob Gronkowski, N.E. | 82 | 1,124 | 13.7 | 12 | 14.6% |
| 2015 | Jordan Reed, Was. | 87 | 952 | 10.9 | 11 | 12.6% |
| 2014 | Jimmy Graham, N.O. | 85 | 889 | 10.5 | 10 | 11.8% |
| 2023 | Sam LaPorta, Det. | 86 | 889 | 10.3 | 10 | 11.6% |
| 2005 | Antonio Gates, S.D. | 89 | 1,101 | 12.4 | 10 | 11.2% |
| 2011 | Jimmy Graham, N.O. | 99 | 1,310 | 13.2 | 11 | 11.1% |
| 2022 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 110 | 1,338 | 12.2 | 12 | 10.9% |
| 2012 | Jimmy Graham, N.O. | 85 | 982 | 11.6 | 9 | 10.6% |
| 2020 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 105 | 1,416 | 13.5 | 11 | 10.5% |
| 2008 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 96 | 1,058 | 11.0 | 10 | 10.4% |
| 2009 | Dallas Clark, Ind. | 100 | 1,106 | 11.1 | 10 | 10.0% |
| 2021 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 92 | 1,125 | 12.2 | 9 | 9.8% |
| 2018 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 103 | 1,336 | 13.0 | 10 | 9.7% |
| 2017 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 83 | 1,038 | 12.5 | 8 | 9.6% |
| 2013 | Tony Gonzalez, Atl. | 83 | 859 | 10.4 | 8 | 9.6% |
| 2010 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 94 | 1,002 | 10.7 | 9 | 9.6% |
| 2024 | Jonnu Smith, Mia. | 88 | 884 | 10.1 | 8 | 9.1% |
| 2013 | Jordan Cameron, Cle. | 80 | 917 | 11.5 | 7 | 8.8% |
| 2011 | Tony Gonzalez, Atl. | 80 | 875 | 10.9 | 7 | 8.8% |
| 2012 | Tony Gonzalez, Atl. | 93 | 930 | 10.0 | 8 | 8.6% |
| 2016 | Kyle Rudolph, Min. | 83 | 840 | 10.1 | 7 | 8.4% |
| 2021 | Mark Andrews, Balt. | 107 | 1,361 | 12.7 | 9 | 8.4% |
| 2020 | Darren Waller, L.V. | 107 | 1,196 | 11.2 | 9 | 8.4% |
| 2023 | David Njoku, Cle. | 81 | 882 | 10.9 | 6 | 7.4% |
| 2007 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 96 | 1,145 | 11.9 | 7 | 7.3% |
| 2009 | Tony Gonzalez, Atl. | 83 | 867 | 10.5 | 6 | 7.2% |
| 2014 | Greg Olsen, Car. | 84 | 1,008 | 12.0 | 6 | 7.1% |
| 2022 | T.J. Hockenson, 2TM | 86 | 914 | 10.6 | 6 | 7.0% |
| 2018 | Zach Ertz, Phil. | 116 | 1,163 | 10.0 | 8 | 6.9% |
| 2004 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 87 | 980 | 11.3 | 6 | 6.9% |
| 2004 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 102 | 1,258 | 12.3 | 7 | 6.9% |
| 2019 | Zach Ertz, Phil. | 88 | 916 | 10.4 | 6 | 6.8% |
| 2014 | Martellus Bennett, Chi. | 90 | 916 | 10.2 | 6 | 6.7% |
| 2015 | Delanie Walker, Ten. | 94 | 1,088 | 11.6 | 6 | 6.4% |
| 2007 | Kellen Winslow, Cle. | 82 | 1,106 | 13.5 | 5 | 6.1% |
| 2011 | Brandon Pettigrew, Det. | 83 | 777 | 9.4 | 5 | 6.0% |
| 2019 | George Kittle, S.F. | 85 | 1,053 | 12.4 | 5 | 5.9% |
| 2018 | George Kittle, S.F. | 88 | 1,377 | 15.7 | 5 | 5.7% |
| 2023 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 93 | 984 | 10.6 | 5 | 5.4% |
| 2023 | T.J. Hockenson, Min. | 95 | 960 | 10.1 | 5 | 5.3% |
| 2019 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 97 | 1,229 | 12.7 | 5 | 5.2% |
| 2007 | Tony Gonzalez, K.C. | 99 | 1,172 | 11.8 | 5 | 5.1% |
| 2017 | Jack Doyle, Ind. | 80 | 690 | 8.6 | 4 | 5.0% |
| 2008 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 81 | 952 | 11.8 | 4 | 4.9% |
| 2016 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 85 | 1,125 | 13.2 | 4 | 4.7% |
| 2024 | Brock Bowers, L.V. | 112 | 1,194 | 10.7 | 5 | 4.5% |
| 2016 | Greg Olsen, Car. | 80 | 1,073 | 13.4 | 3 | 3.8% |
| 2023 | Trey McBride, Ari. | 81 | 825 | 10.2 | 3 | 3.7% |
| 2023 | Evan Engram, Jac. | 114 | 963 | 8.5 | 4 | 3.5% |
| 2006 | Kellen Winslow, Cle. | 89 | 875 | 9.8 | 3 | 3.4% |
| 2019 | Darren Waller, Oak. | 90 | 1,145 | 12.7 | 3 | 3.3% |
| 2024 | Travis Kelce, K.C. | 97 | 823 | 8.5 | 3 | 3.1% |
| 2012 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 110 | 1,039 | 9.5 | 3 | 2.7% |
| 2004 | Eric Johnson, S.F. | 82 | 825 | 10.1 | 2 | 2.4% |
| 2016 | Dennis Pitta, Balt. | 86 | 729 | 8.5 | 2 | 2.3% |
| 2009 | Jason Witten, Dall. | 94 | 1,030 | 11.0 | 2 | 2.1% |
| 2024 | Trey McBride, Ari. | 111 | 1,146 | 10.3 | 2 | 1.8% |
| 2008 | Chris Cooley, Was. | 83 | 849 | 10.2 | 1 | 1.2% |
—Ian Allan