Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Ladd McConkey will put a ribbon on his remarkable rookie season in Week 18 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He’ll enter the season finale fourth among first-year pass catchers in yards (1,054) and receptions (77), trailing only Brian Thomas Jr. (Jaguars), Brock Bowers (Raiders), and Malik Nabers (Giiants).

And he’s the only one from that bunch who wasn’t a first-round pick.

Instead, McConkey slid to the second round, where the Chargers snagged him with the 34th overall pick. It’s safe to say he’s already become one of the biggest steals from the 2024 NFL Draft, and if we could travel back in time, he’d certainly be a first-rounder.

The folks over at the 33rd Team took a look back at last April’s draft and projected how the first round would unfold now that one season is (basically) in the books. It’s no surprise that Ladd McConkey was one of the biggest risers.

McConkey jumped an astonishing 21 spots to become the Raiders’ selection at No. 13.

”With Bowers and all the top quarterbacks off of the board, the Raiders should consider taking the top remaining pass catcher on the board,” wrote Tyler Brooke. ”That turns out to be Ladd McConkey, who has been one of the biggest surprises of this year's draft class. He showed real ability at Georgia but has become the top weapon for Justin Herbert, catching 77 passes for 1,054 yards and seven touchdowns. McConkey can be a dangerous target in the slot to help out whoever the next Raiders quarterback ends up being in 2025.”

McConkey is proof the NFL Draft is an inexact science

The NFL Draft has long been considered the most effective way for teams to build a championship roster, but it’s also the most unpredictable. Perhaps it’s because of the flaws in talent evaluation, with McConkey serving as a great case study.

On-field performance and production is overshadowed during Draft season by physical attributes and pro projection, leaving prospects like McConkey, whose unassuming physical presence screams anything but NFL star, sliding down the board.

That’s all changed now that McConkey has put pro defenders in a spin cycle week after week, and the Chargers should thank their lucky stars that 31 other teams didn’t think he was worthy of the first round.


This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/chargers/ as Chargers WR Ladd McConkey skyrockets into 1st round of 2024 NFL Re-Draft.