Ladd McConkey's rise continues at the NFL Combine
INDIANAPOLIS - Ladd McConkey isn't one to direct praise toward himself.
Think about the rise of the former Georgia wideout. He came out of high school as an unranked three-star receiver with minimal offers. As a freshman in 2020, McConkey toiled on the scout team.
The past three years have since seen McConkey put together a stellar career in red and black. But when asked about his greatest collegiate accomplishment, McConkey referred to his team as a whole.
"Those two national championships were pretty good," McConkey said. "With team success comes individual accolades, but those natties are something they’ll never be able to take away from us."
McConkey enters the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine on an upward trajectory in terms of his draft stock.
He dominated the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, last month. Throughout that week, McConkey found himself open time and time again.
McConkey hopes the Senior Bowl experience, plus this week in Indianapolis, gives pro teams a full snapshot of his skill set.
"I think they’re starting to see that (versatility) more now, really diving into my film and what I was able to do at the Senior Bowl, stuff like that," McConkey said. "I think they can see, okay, this guy can play inside, he can play outside. I think I’m a prototypical slot guy, but I think once I get up there and show them what I can do and how I can play, and they just really kind of watch my film this year, I feel like they’ll see that I’m able to win outside and I’m able to win inside."
The rise of McConkey is even more impressive considering his football background. Before he got to Georgia, he had only played receiver in his sophomore and junior years of high school. He spent the rest of his career to that point playing quarterback.
In 2020, McConkey spent all of his time on the scout team. He went against defensive backs (and future NFL players) such as Tyson Campbell, Lewis Cine, Richard LeCounte, and Eric Stokes every day in practice.
That competition improved every facet of McConkey's game. When he started getting more opportunities in the 2021 season, McConkey wasted no time making the most of them. Over the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he racked up 89 catches for 1,209 yards and 12 touchdowns.
McConkey's final year in Athens didn't go the way he wanted as he battled injuries all season. But as he jockeys for draft position among a loaded receiver class, McConkey plans to use the same mentality and skills he did to carve out a role for himself at Georgia.
"I really think that when it comes to competing, I’m going to outcompete you. I’m going to outwork you," McConkey said. "I think I can run routes, I can run them outside, inside, play special teams. I think I’m very versatile and can do a little bit of everything. I don’t know, obviously the guys in this draft class are ridiculous. We’ve got some great receivers. But when it comes to doing a little bit of everything, I think I stand up there with all of them."