Ladd McConkey has set Himself up for a Long NFL Career

Following a dazzling week at the Reese's Senior Bowl, Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey is the talk of NFL Draft circles, and for good reason.

Folks who follow high school football in Georgia knew Ladd McConkey had a special career in front of him since he was a senior playing quarterback for North Murray High School back in 2019.

The (maybe) 6'0 jitterbug at quarterback for the Mountaineers also played defensive back, punted, and returned kicks for a team that went 11-2 and won two playoff games in Georgia's Class AAA, before falling to a Jenkins (Savannah) team that had about 10 future FBS players on its team.

Nov 11, 2023; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Ladd McConkey (84) on the field against the Mississippi Rebels in the fourth quarter at Sanford Stadium.  / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

But even with all the success and incredible output, McConkey failed to garner much attention from Power 5 schools. He was ranked as the 169th receiver in the country according to 247's composite rankings, and just the 121st overall player in Georgia. He had one Power 5 offer, from Vanderbilt, and was considering walking on or accepting a scholarship to a G5 program. Then Georgia and Kirby Smart came along.

Smart is an incredible program builder, an elite football mind, and a wonderful recruiter, but perhaps his most underrated attribute is talent evaluator. Sure, McConkey probably wasn't going to play quarterback at Georgia, but any athlete that can terrorize defenses in Georgia high school football is at least going to get a look from Smart, and what he saw in the 175 lb McConkey was a playmaker.

Now, nearly five years later, Ladd McConkey is preparing for the NFL Draft and just got done dominating for a week down in Mobile at the Senior Bowl. He's not just an athlete anymore, he's an elite route runner with game-breaking speed that will fit in any NFL offense. He'll get more chances to show off as the NFL Combine and Georgia's Pro Day are still to come. 

Ladd McConkey continues to impress with his elite route running. He is 2nd in class in YPRR vs Zone only behind Malik Nabers.

McConkey analytics are in the Chase, Jefferson, and Puka area for this strength. https://t.co/kHVWsTRPFQ

— Elite Drafters (@Elite_Drafters) February 3, 2024

All an NFL scout has to do is turn on his tape and they'll see a guy that wins reps and makes plays, but if that's too much work, you could always just ask Kirby Smart how a 6-foot-nothin' three-star beat out a bunch of four and five-stars for playing time the past few years. Either way, one team is going to get a heckuva football player come draft time in April.

Other Georgia News:

• All-American Honors Roll In for Standout Georgia Freshman
• Georgia Bulldogs Could Surpass 2023 Totals in This Year's NFL Draft
• OL Tate Ratledge Returning to Georgia For 2024 Season

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