Bolts From The Blue
After a breakout, record-setting rookie season in 2024, Ladd McConkey was named among the league’s best players under the age of 25.
The Chargers traded up in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft to select Ladd McConkey in hopes that he’d help the team’s passing attack heading into year one under head coach Jim Harbaugh. Even if you were high on McConkey following his selection, I don’t think anyone would have expected him to have the type of record-breaking season he put together a season ago.
After managing to record 50 or more receiving yards just once in his first six professional games, McConkey broke out for 111 yards and six touchdowns against the Saints in Week Seven. From there until the end of the team’s postseason run, McConkey would go on to record 50 or more receiving yards in every single game, highlighted by a career-high 197 yards in the team’s wild card contest against the Houston Texans.
By the end of the regular season, McConkey had also set the record for the most receptions and receiving yards by a rookie in Chargers history. Then, against Houston, McConkey’s 197 yards also set the NFL record for most yards by a rookie in a playoff game.
This offseason, McConkey is continuing to earn his flowers. In a new article from the folks at Pro Football Focus, McConkey came in ranked 19th among their top 25 NFL players under the age of 25. He landed one spot ahead of the Jaguars’ Brian Thomas Jr. and is the fourth-ranked wide receiver on the list.
“The gap between McConkey and fellow 2024 rookie Brian Thomas Jr. is razor thin, but McConkey ultimately gets the edge after ranking second among all rookie receivers in PFF receiving grade (85.0), PFF overall grade (84.3) and PFF WAR (0.47) — all just ahead of Thomas,” says analyst Jonathon Macri.
“McConkey even led all rookies in yards per route run (2.59) and ranked in the top five among all players at the position in 2024.”
While 2023 first-round pick Quentin Johnston put up an admirable stat line alongside McConkey, the lowest parts of his season still seem to sting when recalled. Every player has their drops, but it sure did seem like his drops came at the worst of times. Due to QJ’s continued inconsistencies, the Chargers went out and used a second consecutive second round pick on Ole Miss’ Tre Harris. The former Rebel fills the need of a young X wideout that will learn behind veteran Mike Williams early on before presumably earning the starting spot by the end of his first season.
The hope is that Harris develops fast enough to help take the earned attention off of McConkey, and if that does come to fruition, the Chargers passing attack should be able to take a necessary step forward towards become a much more consistent unit in 2025.
