If there’s one thing Ladd McConkey wants you to know about his game, it’s that he’s not defined by being a scrappy slot receiver.
In the leadup to the 2024 NFL Draft, the Georgia receiver said on the “NFL on FOX Podcast” that he finds the narrative that he’s just another white slot receiver misguided.
“I think if you just watch my game and stuff, it’s a little bit different than those guys,” McConkey told David Helman. “I’ve played over half of my snaps on the outside at Georgia. I feel like I’ve shown I can win inside and outside. I feel like I am a gritty guy who can get the job done. But that’s not all I am, there’s more to it.”
McConkey certainly showed that he could make plays outside the hashes and down the field during his time at Georgia. He averaged 15.9 yards per reception this past season and was pivotal in Georgia’s success in the passing game when Brock Bowers was out due to injury. McConkey had 17 receptions for 311 yards and two touchdowns over the two games Bowers missed, plus his first game back, making a handful of big downfield receptions to help the Bulldogs move the ball.
Shortly after Bowers’ return though, McConkey suffered a back injury that cost him two games. He only played in nine games total in 2023, recording 30 receptions for 478 yards and two touchdowns after a 58-catch, 762-yard season with nine total touchdowns in 2022.
McConkey was able to return from injury to play in Georgia’s bowl game and participate in the combine, where the athletic testing drills supported his belief that he could play on the outside at the next level. He ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash, which was tied for the sixth-best mark among receivers at the event. His 1.52 10-yard split was also tied for the fourth-best mark among all receivers at the combine.
“It felt good,” McConkey said of his 40 time. “I knew I wasn’t going to go up there and run a 4.5 or a 4.6. I had a goal and 4.3 was it, and I hit it. So, I was super pumped about that and kind of break that…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/georgias-ladd-mcconkey-hoping-to-shed-scrappy-slot-wr-label-ahead-of-draft
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Publish date : 2024-04-09 19:00:28
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