Chargers 90-in-90: TE Tre’ McKitty

Tre’ McKitty was born in West Chapel, Florida where he played his high school at national powerhouse IMG Academy. He chose to stay close to home and play for the Florida State Seminoles after being ranked as the No. 6 tight end prospect int he country by ESPN.

In three seasons with the Seminoles, McKitty played in 35 games and recorded 50 receptions for 520 yards and two touchdowns. McKitty graduated early and decided to transfer to Georgia for his final season of eligibility in 2020. As a senior for the Bulldogs, McKitty started seven games and finished with just six receptions for 106 yards and one score.

At Georgia’s pro day, McKitty clocked in a 40 time of 4.70 at 6’4 and 246 pounds. His best mark came in the bench press where he repped 225 pounds 23 times.

McKitty would go on to be drafted by the Chargers 97th overall in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft. Many believed McKitty getting selected in the third was quite rich for his draft stock, but general manager Tom Telesco later told the media that they believed he was the last “pro ready” tight end left on the board at that point in the draft.

As a rookie in 2021, McKitty started four games while playing in 11 total. He caught six passes for 45 yards, three of which went for first down conversions. In his sophomore season, he set new career highs with 10 receptions and 72 receiving yards.

Basic Info

Height: 6’4
Weight: 246
College: Florida State/Georgia
Experience: 2
Years with team: 2

Contract Status

“Tre McKitty signed a 4 year, $4,785,852 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including a $840,620 signing bonus, $840,620 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $1,196,463. In 2023, McKitty will earn a base salary of $1,095,077, while carrying a cap hit of $1,305,232 and a dead cap value of $420,310.” - Spotrac.com

The Good

Through two seasons, there aren’t a ton of positives from McKitty aside from staying healthy for the most part.

The Bad

McKitty hasn’t lived up to his draft selection in his first two seasons and there’s no sign that he’s likely to do that in year three. While on the field, McKitty is normally in the spotlight for negatived reasons, such as dropping passes (two drops on 18 targets in 2022) and penalties.

Odds of making the roster/What to expect in 2023?

McKitty will make the roster as a former draft pick that the team isn’t ready to give up on just yet. He’s currently TE3 on the roster but if Stone Smartt continues to impress, I wouldn’t be surprised to see McKitty drop even further down the depth chart.