Ladd McConkey has been quickly emerging as one of the NFL’s best rookie star players this fall for the Los Angeles Chargers. This shouldn’t surprise Georgia Bulldogs fans who were familiar with his game when he was making plays for Kirby Smart in Athens, GA. However, it seems despite being selected 34th overall in the 2024 NFL Draft in the early second round many are still shocked at just how good he’s been playing.
In fact his own head coach, Jim Harbaugh, seemed a bit surprised at how incredible he’s looked when remarking upon McConkey’s film this week following the game against the New Orleans Saints. Harbaugh was quoted as a saying, “I watch the film of Ladd [McConkey]. He reminds of Steve Smith.”
Ladd McConkey exploded for 111 yards and two touchdowns this past week against the Saints as he put together his greatest breakout performance yet. Comparing McConkey to a future hall of fame star wide receiver in Steve Smith who put up nearly 15,000 career receiving yards in the NFL may seem a bit lofty to some, but it shouldn’t.
Some scouts and media pundits had concerns about his size and strength coming into the NFL, but McConkey has been silencing any doubters every single week. His Week 8 film is incredible. As Yahoo’s Matt Harmon notes in his post below, McConkey’s route running, ball tracking, and YAC abilities were on full display all game long for the Chargers in their 26-8 win over the Saints this Sunday.
Through seven games Ladd McConkey now has 30 receptions for 376 yards and four touchdowns, putting him on pace for over 900 yards on the season as a rookie. He’s logged at least four targets in every single game this year now, posting between six and eight targets in all but one contest (Week 2 against Carolina). It’s clear McConkey is the best wide receiver on the team by far and continues to gel with quarterback Justin Herbert.
Again, this might surprise many football fans as McConkey might not have typical WR1 measurables, but just like his time at Georgia he’s quietly proving to an elite playmaker. Although he never put up wild statistical totals for the Bulldogs, he functioned as the team’s lead wide receiver alongside tight end Brock Bowers for three straight seasons. If Jim Harbaugh’s comparison is anywhere close to reality we can expect many more seasons of incredible play from McConkey in the future.
