NFL Rookie Roundup 360: Georgia alums Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey dominating the NFL
Week 11 was a big week for the Georgia Bulldogs in the NFL. While Brock Bowers continues his wrath as one of the top tight ends in the league, Ladd McConkey continues to be “a baller” for the Los Angeles Chargers.
As two 2024 NFL Draft products garnering buzz prior to the draft, both playmakers are showcasing their playmaking skills at the next level. Furthermore, each player is proving to be exactly the players they were at Georgia in helping the Bulldogs offense dominate the SEC.
McConkey, who was selected with the No. 31 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, entered the league as a wide receiver on the rise. With elite route-running skills and the ability to stretch the field vertically, McConkey has become a key target for Justin Herbert. In the team’s 34-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the former Georgia Bulldogs star lit it up with six catches for 123 yards. In the go-ahead drive, it was Hebert finding McConkey twice for 55 yards to set up a J.K. Dobbins touchdown.
In all, when the Chargers needed a play, it was McConkey with the answer. Not only is he impressing Hebert, Dobbins is also impressed by his teammate.
“He’s a dude,” Dobbins said. “He’s a baller. He’s a playmaker.”
In leading the team with 43 receptions and 615 yards, McConkey is having the best rookie season for a Chargers wide receiver since Keenan Allen, a player the team traded over the offseason.
Heck, if it wasn’t for what Bowers is doing for the Las Vegas Raiders, there might be more hype surrounding McConkey as one of the top offensive rookies in the league.
Brock Bowers goes off in South Beach
Speaking of Bowers, the Georgia alum continues to break records in this rookie season. As a featured player in the Raiders new offense showcased in Week 11, the rookie tight end hauled in 13 receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown in a 34-19 loss to the Dolphins.
In setting his career high in receptions, Bowers set the NFL record for most receptions in a game by a rookie right end. While the Raiders dropped to 2-8 on the season, the bright spot has been Bowers who continues to be a tough cover for NFL defenses and a player who the Raiders can build around going forward. He is also a player who is impressing opposing head coaches, including Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel who would love to have that kind of tight end in his offense.
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“Bowers is legit,” McDaniel said following the game, via ESPN. “We knew coming out of the draft. We were very high on him, and he didn’t disappoint. He’s going to be a player that everybody knows for years to come, in my opinion.”
It’s not just your opinion Coach McDaniel, Bowers and his former Georgia Bulldogs teammate McConkey are dominating the AFC West and the NFL…and they are just beginning.