Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride has already stacked up a résumé that makes him one of the NFL’s most dangerous pass catchers, and ESPN’s latest player rankings reflect that. After coming in at No. 13 in the player-voted “NFL Top 100 Players of 2026,” McBride landed at No. 26 on ESPN’s projected top 100 players of 2026 list.
That placement still fits with the kind of season McBride has built. His past two campaigns - 126 receptions in 2025 and 111 receptions in 2024 - rank first and fifth all time among tight ends. He’s also the only tight end in NFL history to post 100-plus receptions in back-to-back seasons.
Even with Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson in the mix, McBride may still be Arizona’s top receiving threat. He spent the offseason sharpening how he reads defenses and understands spacing, and that only makes sense for a player who led the Cardinals in routes run in 2025. Throughout training camp, McBride has continued to show off his receiving skill set, and that profile should fit neatly into new coach Mike LaFleur’s West Coast scheme.
The part of ESPN’s projection that stands out is the shape of the production. The numbers have McBride catching 149 passes for 1,023 yards and five touchdowns, which would drop his yards per catch to 6.9. That would be a sharp decline from his career average of 10.0 yards per reception.
The concern isn’t the catches. It’s the efficiency. With LaFleur believing McBride could produce more in a George Kittle mold, and Kittle carrying a career 13.5-yard average per catch, the yardage projection looks light.
A more realistic line, given Harrison and Wilson also drawing targets, would be 95 catches for 1,150 yards.
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