Ladd McConkey left his mark on the NFL Combine Saturday evening, and he’s lined up to be an immediate contributor for some team in the 2024 season.

One of Georgia’s leading receivers the past three seasons, McConkey already turned in a strong showing at the Reese’s Senior Bowl to begin his pre-draft process. This week at Indianapolis, he delivered another key performance for a player not expected to be among the top group of receivers.

In the 40-yard dash, McConkey ran a 4.43 in his first run and improved that to an official 4.39 on his second run. For a receiver who measured a hair under 6-feet, that is the kind of speed NFL teams will want at the next level.

Though McConkey did not challenge for the fastest wide receiver time at the combine, he proved he can play with poise at that speed. McConkey stretch in the passing gauntlet received high marks for his balance, speed and ability to hold his line.

Ladd McConkey’s stock and NFL comparison

McConkey’s stock is a tough one to pin down, specifically in this draft class. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah had a handful of first-round receivers in his latest mock draft, but that group mainly included the elite talents of Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.

It’s also notable that Jeremiah’s first-round mock draft did not include Texas’ Xavier Worthy, a player who set the NFL Combine record with a 4.21 40-yard dash. That kind of time could boost his stock into the first round for a player who was extremely productive in college. Fans can track all the latest NFL Draft odds and prepare for the live North Carolina betting launch with SDS’s FanDuel in North Carolina links.

At the end of the day, McConkey probably slots into the draft somewhere behind those players, and after that, it all comes down to individual team needs. He could certainly be in the realm of a 2nd or 3rd-round pick with his polished route-running, strong hands and effort at the NFL Combine to show his athleticism.

As for his comparison, Kirk Herbstreit was quick to reference Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua. A 5th-round pick a season ago, Nacua burst onto the scenes with a record-setting rookie season and was similarly hailed for his route-running as a rookie.

We’ll see if McConkey can make good on that kind of comparison, but he’s one of the high risers so far in the pre-draft process.