A lengthy NFL career is what Ladd McConkey has prepared himself for.
Ladd McConkey has a unique future ahead of him, as people who follow Georgia high school football understood when he was a senior quarterback for North Murray High School in 2019. Before losing to a Jenkins (Savannah) club that had roughly ten future FBS players, the (possibly) 6’0 jitterbug at quarterback for the Mountaineers also played defensive back, punted, and returned kicks for a team that went 11-2 and won two playoff games in Georgia’s Class AAA.
However, despite all of the accomplishments and outstanding productivity, Power 5 universities paid little attention to McConkey. According to 247’s composite rankings, he was only the 121st overall player in Georgia and the 169th receiver in the entire nation. He was contemplating walking on or accepting a scholarship to a G5 program, and he had received one Power 5 offer, from Vanderbilt. Then along came Kirby Smart and Georgia.
Although Smart is an amazing program architect, a superb football mind, and a fantastic recruiter, his ability as a talent evaluator may be his most underestimated skill. Although it is unlikely that McConkey would play quarterback at Georgia, Smart will definitely take a look at any player who can frighten defenses in Georgia high school football. In the 175-pound McConkey, Smart spotted a playmaker.
Almost five years later, Ladd McConkey is getting ready for the NFL Draft and recently finished up a week of dominance at the Senior Bowl in Mobile. He is now more than simply an athlete; he can fit into any NFL scheme as an outstanding route runner with game-breaking speed. With the NFL Combine and Georgia’s Pro Day more to come, he’ll have more opportunities to showcase his skills.
All an NFL scout needs to do is play his tape; if that proves to be too much work, you can always ask Kirby Smart how a six-foot-nine three-star managed to edge out several four- and five-star prospects for playing time over the last few seasons. In any case, when the draft rolls around in April, one team is going to get one heck of a football player.
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