Ladd McConkey’s Chargers breakout has other teams kicking themselves in re-drafts

For many NFL teams, Los Angeles Chargers wideout Ladd McConkey is the one that got away. 

McConkey slipped to the 34th pick in the 2024 NFL draft, where the Chargers traded up in what is now an infamous ripoff of the New England Patriots. 

Racking up 1,149 yards and seven scores over 16 games and 82 catches, McConkey shoved aside some Chargers franchise records. All that…before attempting to carry the team on his back in the playoff loss, catching nine passes for 197 yards and a score. 

Now, teams like the Carolina Panthers are eliminating their worst draft pick of the last five years by taking McConkey in re-draft efforts from Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder: 

“In fairness to Legette, the jury is still out on whether he’s a bust, and he could remain a starter this season. However, the Panthers spent a first-round pick on another wideout last April, as the South Carolina product had an underwhelming rookie campaign and could get squeezed out of the starting lineup in training camp.”

Xavier Legette, the 32nd pick in 2024 out of South Carolina, scored just four times and had 497 yards on 49 catches, though we’d be remiss not to mention that he wasn’t exactly playing with an elite quarterback or quality overall situation in Carolina while attempting to adapt to the pros. 

Either way, that’s not to sell McConkey short. He’d be a first-round pick to some degree in most of the recent modern draft classes given his output as a rookie. 

Now, the Chargers get to lean on him while the teams that needed a wideout and passed on McConkey keep searching for answers.