Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey is among the elite pass-catching prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. McConkey is a pro-ready, finished product as a route-runner. McConkey creates easy separation in the passing game with advanced stop-start quickness and explosive footwork.
McConkey has aced the pre-draft process thus far, shining at both the NFL Combine and Senior Bowl. Speed was on display through McConkey’s 4.39 40-yard dash. Lower-body explosion was evident through his 36-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-4 broad jump.
McConkey recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network about his experience at this year’s NFL Combine, offered feedback on his performance, discussed practicing against Georgia’s cornerbacks, the art of route-running, and more.
I’m amazed by McConkey’s thoroughness when it comes to playing the wide receiver position. He’s a top-40 talent in the 2024 NFL Draft.
JM: You absolutely crushed the NFL Combine. You ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash. You had great vertical (36 inches) and broad (10-foot-4) jumps as well. How would you grade your overall performance?
Ladd McConkey: I thought I put forth a solid showing. I had goals I wanted to hit. I was happy with my overall performance. A lot of hard work went into that behind the scenes. We’ve been training for a while. It was a good experience overall. I’m proud of what I achieved down there.
JM: Do you think you caught some people off guard with the 40?
Ladd McConkey: I’m not really sure (laughs). I’ve heard all kinds of varying feedback from different teams. Some teams thought I was going to run fast. Other teams may have thought otherwise.
I hope I caught some people off guard (laughs). That would be great. I was excited about the time.
JM: As impressed as I was with your athletic testing, I was even more impressed with you throughout position drills. You arguably ran the best position drills, where your stop-start quickness and explosive footwork were on display. Do you feel those on-field drills are a better indicator of pro success than anything else you did in Indy?
Ladd McConkey: When you really think about it, the 40, the broad, and the vertical, those are great drills that measure explosiveness and how fast you are. But at the end of the day, not a lot of that translates to actual football.
The on-field drills are probably a better indicator because it actually relates to playing football. It’s real-life stuff. You’re catching balls and running routes. It was a good experience. I thought everything we did at the combine was beneficial. All 32 teams take different things into account.
The football stuff, that’s the part that comes easy to me. I just went out there and ran routes. That’s what I’m used to doing.
JM: You’ve got to practice against the best of the best throughout your time at Georgia. This past season, it was guys like Kamari Lassiter and Javon Bullard. In 2022, it was Lewis Cine and a slew of others. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall for those practice sessions. How did iron sharpen iron?
Ladd McConkey: Whew, yeah (laughs). We had some battles. I’ve seen some great players throughout my time at Georgia. There are so many players in the league right now where I can be like, yeah, I went up against that guy, I’ve been tackled by that guy, and so on (laughs).
It’s crazy. Those Georgia defenders, they for sure made me better. Those practice sessions were special. Kamari Lassiter is a great one. Going back to my freshman year, I was practicing against Tyson Campbell and Eric Stokes. I saw them every day in practice. They made me so much better. I hope I was able to make them look better as well.
JM: You’re one of the best route runners in the class. What are some things you do to work on that aspect of your game?
Ladd McConkey: You can’t just go out there and run routes. That’s not how I approach every single day. You have to break it down step by step. You have to break the release up. You have to break the top of the route up. I break up each aspect of route-running into individual approaches.
I focus on the drills. When it’s time to put all of that together, that’s when you put it together. It’s not like I go out there and run full-speed routes every single day. You need to work the footwork separately from the steps. The timing and all of that stuff, it has to come individually. It translates when you put it all together.
JM: Does Ladd McConkey have a favorite route to run?
Ladd McConkey: I’d probably say a double move. Something that’s going to get the corner guessing. A stutter, an out-and-up, a little comeback up-and-go. Anything along those lines allows me to hit a big play. Those are fun routes to run.
JM: You talked about breaking down each part of a route into different drills. What are the three most important traits of route-running?
Ladd McConkey: Hmm, the three most important traits? Body control is definitely first and foremost. Footwork is obviously a huge one. I’d probably add savviness to that. I like those three.
JM: Do you approach bigger cornerbacks in coverage differently than you do smaller, shiftier ones?
Ladd McConkey: You just have to watch them on film and see how they play. Are they more flat-footed on the line of scrimmage? Are they going to get hands on you? Do they soft-shoot out of their stance? Some guys like to play with their feet more than their hands. It really just depends.
Different guys play different styles. There are smaller cornerbacks that want to get their hands on you at the line of scrimmage to make up for their size. Some bigger guys want to use their length and get their hands on you, and others don’t. It just depends. You have to approach all of them differently. You have to watch them on tape, identify their tendencies, and see what they like to do.
JM: Are there any receivers that you love to study and watch on tape?
Ladd McConkey: Not anybody specific. That’s the honest truth. I try to take a little bit from everybody I watch. I have to identify what works for me. Not everybody is the same. If I see something that doesn’t work for me, I just have to accept that and move on.
I definitely pay attention to what guys are doing at the top of their routes and with their release. If I see something I can apply to my game, I will.
JM: With the NFL Combine now in our rearview mirror, do you have any Top 30 visits coming up?
Ladd McConkey: Yeah, we’re getting all of those visits squared away as we speak. I’m figuring out my schedule. My Pro Day is coming up on March 13. That’s our main focus right now. I’m planning to put on a good show out there. I want to run crisp routes. We’ll figure out everything else after the fact.
JM: This has been an incredible conversation. It’s easy to see why you’re one of the best wide receivers in the 2024 NFL Draft. We’ve appreciated your time today. What kind of impact is Ladd McConkey going to make at the next level?
Ladd McConkey: I hope I’m a guy that can come in and contribute right away. Whether that’s as a receiver or on special teams remains to be seen. Whatever the team needs me to do, I’m going to do it at a high level.
I want to get out there and help the team win. I can’t wait to help a team win a Super Bowl.
