The Los Angeles Chargers made a move to add a playmaker to their wideout room.
The Chargers pulled off a trade with the New England Patriots to select Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey with the No. 34 overall selection of the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday night.
L.A. traded the No. 37 pick and the No. 110 selection (fourth round) to New England in exchange for Nos. 34 and 137 (fifth round). The Patriots later used their first selection from that trade, the 37th pick, to add Washington wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk, New England’s newest weapon for rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
The Chargers had a hole in their wide receiver room after the offseason trade of Keenan Allen to Chicago and the release of Mike Williams.
McConkey brings versatility as an inside-outside wideout. His flexibility, coupled with excellent route-running ability and 4.39 40-yard-dash speed, makes him a menace for defensive backs. The 6-foot wideout might not have ideal size, but his quick release, smooth route running, ability to separate and stellar hands allow him to win all over the field.
After being named second-team All-SEC in 2022, McConkey missed five games in 2023 with back and ankle injuries that curtailed his production to 30 catches for 478 yards and two touchdowns.
The Chargers desperately needed bodies in the wideout room after the offseason turnover. McConkey joins Josh Palmer, 2023 first-rounder Quentin Johnston, Derius Davis and Simi Fehoko in the wideout room. The rookie should immediately see the field as a do-it-all weapon who can line up across the formation. With Johnston and Palmer being primarily outside wideouts, McConkey should take on the bulk of the snaps inside.
The former Bulldog profiles as an immediate difference maker for Justin Herbert in 2024.
The Chargers could look to add additional pass catchers to the corps as the draft continues.
