Scouting Report: Ladd McConkey (WR) - Georgia
Sales Pitch: “Nuanced route runner with inside-out versatility. High end mental processing and above-average movement skills allows for three-level separation skills despite a lack luster size profile.”
Athletic Profile
Height: 5’ 11 5/8”
Weight: 186 lbs
Arm Length: 30 1/4”
Hand Size: 8 5/8”
40 Yard Dash: 4.39
10 Yard Split: 1.52
Vertical: 36”
Broad Jump: 10’ 4”
Short Shuttle: 3.97
3-Cone: 6.72
Age: 22
Relative Athletic Score: 9.34 / 10.00
Statistics
Career: 119 REC - 1,687 YDS - 14.2 YPR - 14 TD
2023: 30 REC - 478 YDS - 15.9 YPR - 2 TD
Strengths
Plus athlete with excellent change of direction skills and quickness
High level ability to key and diagnose coverages and defender leverage pre and post snap
Displays tremendous effort as a route runner and blocker
Physically and mentally tough, was willing to play through multiple injuries in 2023
Above-average play speed that must be respected by defenses
Diverse package of releases and stems that vary over the course of a game
Uses quickness and agility to win off the line and at the top of his routes
Deceptive route runner who excels at selling vertical routes to great separation
Dependable hands in all areas of the field
Excellent awareness of his body positioning in traffic and along the sideline
Quickly transitions to ball carrier after the catch and picks up hidden yards
Tremendous understanding for space in the scramble drill and versus zone
Versatility to play all three WR spots in a formation from a variety of alignments
Weaknesses
Poor combination of size and length for the position
Growing injury history, struggled w/ a variety of ailments in 2023
Marginal play strength for the positions
Struggles to play through contact in press coverage and at the top of routes
Reroutes and jam press on greatly throw off the timing of his routes
Fails to consistently separate from physical DBs when he does not find leverage off his release
Physical limitations reduce his ability to make plays down the field and at the catch point
Fails to corral difficult catches due to limited catch radius
Below average performance in contested catch situations
Does not break tackles as a ball carrier, easily goes down to arm tackles and first contact
Struggles as a blocker due to below average length and strength
Cannot handle a full workload as a perimeter WR at the next level
Summary
Ladd McConkey has been a college football staple over the past few years due to his high level contributions for the 2x National Champion Georgia Bulldogs. Known for his route running, McConkey is typically billed as a traditional white slot, getting comps to players like Hunter Renfrow, but he is a lot more than that. A good athlete with above average speed he is able to win from all three WR spots from a variety of alignments. McConkey has a diverse and varied release package that lets him attack defenders regardless of coverage or alignment. His ability to key and diagnose defenses post snap allows him to manipulate spacing and leverage to not only give himself room to work and open up routes for his teammates. McConkey does his best work versus off coverage - he is exceptional at selling vertical routes before snapping them off in his break - using him in stack or bunch sets is an effective way for him to have his strengths shine. McConkey has an excellent feel for space as well, routinely finding soft spots in zones to settle down and does a fantastic job navigating traffic and the boundary. Despite lackluster length he is a dependable WR who is capable of reeling in errant passes. He does a fantastic job turning into a ball carrier and gaining extra yardage as well. While McConkey is far more than just a slot WR, there is no getting around the fact he has below average size for the position. He struggles with physical DBs who are able to attack him at the line of scrimmage or get reroutes on him in zone. His physical limitations also show up at the catch point, his lack of length and play strength limits his ability to win in contested catch scenarios. McConkey has the processing skills and quickness to win versus players bigger than him but his size will likely limit the amount of time he spends on the perimeter at the next level. The biggest concern about his size actually comes from off the field, or at least the ability to stay on it. McConkey only played in 9 games in 2023 due to a variety of back and ankle aliments that limited him to 1 true start. McConkey projects best as a WR2 in a pass heavy scheme that moves its players around in formations. He lacks the physical tools to be a focal point of a passing game but his intelligence and separation quickness will be a strong compliment to a true perimeter WR1 at the next level. A high floor player with tons of versatility McConkey has a great shot to be a Top-50 pick come spring.