Is Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride trending toward the NFL’s elite?

It’s Tuesday, which means PFF has updated its overall grades for the 2023 season, and Arizona Cardinals tight end Trey McBride just cracked into the top five for the week, sitting fourth out of 75 players. Overall, McBride has a grade of 70.6, plus an elite receiving grade of 84.6, showing us that he’s right up there with some of the hottest names in the league…mostly.

Pharaoh Brown ranks No. 1 with a grade of 90.6 and a ridiculous 94.4 receiving grade. The 29-year-old has just seven catches, but his 170 receiving yards and 24.3 yards per reception have been enough to skyrocket him to the top. 

George Kittle, a player we know all too well here in the desert, is second on the list with an 87.1 grade. And through nine games, Kittle has been once again dominating, with 35 catches, 559 yards, 16.0 yards per catch, and four touchdowns. 

And of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without Travis Kelce, who clocks in with an 84.2 grade. Kelce has 57 catches for 597 yards, 10.5 yards per catch, and four touchdowns. Once again, one of the most dominant tight ends in NFL history is making a name for himself. So how does McBride stack up against this bunch?

Arizona Cardinals tight end is in elite company in 2023

So far in 2023, McBride has 36 catches for 418 yards, 11.6 yards per catch, and one touchdown. He also has a 73.5 catch percentage, which is just one percentage point below Kittle. He’s also not incredibly far behind Kittle and Kelce in receiving yards, and who knows where he would be if he had a better quarterback throwing him the ball?

McBride should have the TE1 position locked up both now and in the future, and it will come as no surprise when he receives an inevitable contract extension in the coming seasons. While Steve Keim’s imprint is fading in the desert, it’s becoming clear that McBride is one of those players more than worth keeping around, regardless of which regime drafted him, as he recently had another game like the one he enjoyed this past Sunday.

If we are talking about overall numbers, it’s also worth noting that McBride is on pace for 61 catches, 711 yards, and a pair of touchdowns. But don’t be surprised if all three of these numbers, especially that last one, rise dramatically in the coming weeks. 

(Grades provided by PFF [subscription], Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)