Ladd McConkey Gets an All-Pro Comparison Ahead of the NFL Combine
There haven't been many players this offseason that have done more for their draft stock than former Georgia wideout Ladd McConkey. The three-year starter for Georgia tore up Mobile during the Reese's Senior Bowl and has been a scout favorite in the lead-up to the combine.
One question does surround McConkey as a receiver: can he play on the outside in the NFL? He's not overly big - 6ft, 185 lbs - so can he beat up NFL corners on the outside? NFL Draft analyst Mike Renner certainly thinks so. In an interview with ESPN's Mina Kimes, Renner compared McConkey to one of the best wideouts to ever play the game.
Nov 11, 2023; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Ladd McConkey (84) celebrates after a touchdown with offensive lineman Amarius Mims (65) against the Mississippi Rebels in the first quarter at Sanford Stadium.
© Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
"I have been saying this for a while now - and it's lofty, I get that it's lofty - but this is who he reminds me of just from a movement/skill standpoint. And it's Antonio Brown."
That's high praise. Say what you will about the end of Brown's career, both on and off the field, but from 2013-2018 he was arguably the wide receiver in football. A comparison to that is a massive compliment for Ladd McConkey.
"They're almost identical from a size perspective," continued Renner. "Antonio Brown was actually a little bit shorter, same wingspan, same weight, and just the ability that I see, the thing that really stands out, and why I mentioned him, in particular, is that they both can go from full speed to complete stop just quicker than almost any wide receivers that I've seen at collegiate, NFL level and that's a skill that wins and that's how Antonio Brown got open deep despite running around like a 4.56 at the combine. He was never a blazer, but he could vary his speeds and really threatened corners because he could stop at will and so you're hip-to-hip with him, he just stopped making you blow by him at any given point in time."
"And so [Antonio Brown] was nasty on the outside and that's what I see with McConkey is just that ability that 'Oh, you're with me right now. But as soon as I want to, I can stop, run a dig, change directions, run to come back' and you can't stick with that. I think Daniel Jeremiah tweeted this out he said, all these SEC corners look good until they face Ladd McConkey and it's like that's just the kind of athlete he is."
"Everyone's wanting to move him to the slot. I don't think so. I think he's an outside wide receiver through and through that can play slot if need be."
