Rookie Spotlight: Ladd McConkey, Georgia

Height: 5-11 1/2″
Weight: 187
Hands: 8 5/8″
Arm: 30 1/8″
2024 Age: 23 – (11/11/01)
40-yard dash: 4.38 (projected)

NFL Play-Style Comparison: Brandin Cooks
Draft Grade: Late 3rd-Round
Breakout Age: 21 (RS Sophomore)

 

Offensive Market Share Metrics (Final Season)

Receptions: 9%
Receiving Yards: 11%
Receiving TDs: 7%

High School: North Murray (Chatsworth, Georgia)
As a high school prospect: Class of 2020; 3-star
College Attended: Georgia

 

Pros
– Good downfield ball tracking and adjustments, but lacks contested catch strength

– Rushing ability is as good as you’ll find on jet-sweeps and reverses.

– For every bad play or drop, McConkey rips off a 10-yard gain on a whip route, shallow crosser, or reverse.

– elite ability to separate with quick twitch and foot speed, suddenness, and deception on routes.

– never gives up on routes, and tends to always finish where he is needed. whether it’s a quick concept or a broken play

– 62 of 88 receptions were for 1st downs over the last two seasons

– Wuerffel Trophy Winner, honors a player that best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.

 

Cons

– smaller hands/grip/length – only one official fumble over the last two seasons, but a handful of “near” fumbles that were called down.

– struggles with deep downfield contested catches and develops a case of the drops when he hears footsteps. Improved from 9.4% drops in 2022, down to 6.3% in 2023.

– very light frame, while struggling with injuries in college, knee in 2022, back and ankle in 2023.

 

Scouting Notes:
Born Andrew McConkey, Ladd was offered by the University of Georgia on January 20th, 2020, 11 days later he took an official visit and just 2 days later committed. McConkey was 158lbs at the time, four short years later, he has two national championships and just 4 career losses next to his name. In High School, he played Quarterback, Running Back, Defensive Back, Returner, and Punter while racking up over 3,000 total yards and 36 total touchdowns. He finished 2023, 6th in the Power 5 among qualifiers according to PFF with 3.26 yards per route run. Dealt with both back and ankle injuries for the majority of the 2023 season, causing him to miss parts of games. But teammates praised him for always being in the training room and at practices, calling him “another coach, on the field.” – McConkey will fit into any scheme at the next level, while his slot usage has dropped from 47% in 2021 to 21% in 2023, his role, YAC, YPRR, and dynamic ability increased. During the first two seasons at Georgia, Ladd returned 21 punts for an average of 13.3 yards.

Georgia HC Kirby Smart was quoted saying “If it wasn’t for YouTube, I wouldn’t know who Ladd was – I was watching a camp and he was beating kids that we were recruiting, and nobody was recruiting him – all he does is make plays.”

Fantasy Outlook:
When it’s all said and done, Ladd McConkey is likely to enter the NFL as a severely underrated wide receiver, teams may overlook his appearance and stature, but the success of the 2023 NFL Draft Class should continue to persuade owners to lean into elite route runners like McConkey. My Rookie Season expectation for McConkey lays somewhere in the Darnell Mooney / Emmanuel Sanders area, both former 3rd-round selections as well. Sanders finished his rookie campaign with 28 receptions for 376 yards and 2 touchdowns. Sanders was a brilliantly smart player coming out of SMU, but found himself in a great receiving room in Pittsburgh. Although I do think McConkey has the ability to make a splash on the field in year one, but I’m not jumping to best case scenario and stamping the 1,000-yard quest on his back just yet.

Cody Carpentier