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Ladd McConkey proving during Senior Bowl week what UGA fans already knew

Ladd McConkey is quickly becoming the toast of Senior Bowl week, but his success is no shock to Georgia fans.

By Michael Collins

Capital One Orange Bowl - Georgia v Florida State
Capital One Orange Bowl - Georgia v Florida State / Brandon Sloter/GettyImages
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Just a quick glance around X (formerly Twitter) for sports fans and you'll see Ladd McConkey trending or at least showing up multiple times on your feed. That's because the former Georgia wideout is putting on a clinic in Mobile, Alabama.

McConkey is showing everyone at the Senior Bowl why he was such a crucial part of two Georgia national championship teams, and why his not being healthy for the 2023 SEC Championship Game against Alabama was a big factor in the game.

The 6'0, 185-pound receiver out of Chatsworth, Georgia was only rated as a three-star recruit, but as Kirby Smart and his staff have done so many times, they helped him develop into a highly sought-after NFL prospect.

What McConkey lacks in size and length he more than makes up for in route-running ability and swiftness of foot. When he's healthy, he's practically uncoverable, as seen here in his one-on-one drills at the Reese's Senior Bowl.

ESPN Draft analyst Matt Miller had this to say about McConkey after watching him break ankles on the field at the Senior Bowl:

"Midway through the first American team practice -- the second Senior Bowl practice of the day -- McConkey has been uncoverable. Working in one-on-one drills against cornerbacks, he routinely created space with crafty, speedy footwork off the line of scrimmage. Whether it was against press or soft coverage, McConkey was open on every rep. A top-50 prospect on my board, there’s still room for McConkey to creep into the back end of Round 1."

McConkey's one-man show at the Senior Bowl practices have already started lifting his draft stock, with some scouts projecting him to early second-round and even late first-round picks. Comparisons to Cooper Cupp have even begun to emerge.

If he continues to impress, there's no telling how high his draft stock will go up.

Georgia fans have, of course, been both elated and somewhat snarky about some suddenly "discovering" just how good McConkey really is.

It will be fun to see how the buzz about McConkey will continue to grow through the week and where he'll be predicted to land in this year's NFL Draft.

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