Cardinals stick with offense, take TE McBride in 2nd round
By DAVID BRANDT
AP Sports Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — The Arizona Cardinals took tight end Trey McBride with their second-round pick on Friday, giving quarterback Kyler Murray another big target in the passing game.
The 6-foot-4, 260-pound McBride played in college at Colorado State, where he was a first-team AP All-American during his senior season, catching 90 passes for 1,121 yards and a touchdown. The pick was somewhat surprising: The Cardinals already have two quality tight ends under contract in Zach Ertz and Maxx Williams.
Still, the front office felt he was too good a talent to pass up. General manager Steve Keim said he was easily the highest-rated player remaining on their board.
“By far, the highest grade,” Keim said. “People ask what you like about him. The question is what’s not to like about him. He’s a special human, special player.”
McBride said he’s excited to learn from Ertz and Williams and hopes he can contribute in a hurry. The tight end added that he recently spent four months training in Phoenix and “fell in love” with the city.
“I think I’m a very unique guy, a guy who can really do it all,” McBride said. “I can be an asset in the run game … and I’m also a guy who can go catch balls and be a third-down tight end.”
The Cardinals have two more picks on Friday in the third round.
It’s already been an eventful draft for the Cardinals’ offense, which filled a need at receiver via trade on Thursday.
Arizona acquired receiver Marquise Brown from the Ravens, sending the No. 23 overall pick back to Baltimore in return. Brown and Murray were college teammates at Oklahoma and will now be reunited in the desert.
The Cardinals were hunting for a No. 2 receiver to pair with three-time All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins. Brown caught 91 passes, including six touchdowns, for 1,008 yards last season for the Ravens.
Despite those good numbers, Brown had asked the Ravens for a trade, preferring a team that had a more wide-open offensive philosophy.
“I’m really excited to play with Hop and it’s gonna be crazy, you know, ’cause I’ve been facing the number one corners,” Brown said in an interview on SiriusXM’s show ‘I Am Athlete Tonight.’ “So I’m really excited to be able to help relieve stress off of him and come in and I feel like we’re gonna have a high-powered offense. I feel like it’s gonna be a pick your poison type of thing.”
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