The consensus surrounding Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey is that he could not have ended up in a more perfect place than he did following the 2024 NFL Draft. After trading up in the second round, the Chargers took him with the No. 34 overall pick.
McConkey had a solid career with the Georgia Bulldogs to elevate him up the draft board and make him a target for Jim Harbaugh and the kind of passing attack he envisions with his new team. Recently, several ESPN analysts got together and talked about this year's draft picks, each making a bold prediction.
Ladd McConkey on the field for the LA Chargers yesterday! pic.twitter.com/M6NIxyNuy3
— Kyle Yates (@KyleYNFL) May 11, 2024
Ladd McConkey will lead all NFL rookies in receptions in 2024- Field Yates
The bold prediction for Field Yates is that McConkey will lead all rookies in receptions this season. That is a big statement considering some of the wide receivers that were selected in this year's draft. You can easily make the argument that wide receiver was the deepest and best position in this year's class.
McConkey has a chance to see instant success as a starter for the Chargers, likely as a guy who lines up often in the slot. Justin Herbert needs a go-to guy with Keenan Allen no longer around and that could easily be McConkey.
Last year, Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams set a rookie record by catching 105 passes. It was only the third time in NFL history that a rookie has surpassed 100 receptions in a season, but two of those have come in the last three seasons. There is a chance that McConkey could become the fourth.