Justin Herbert gave some praise to rookie Ladd McConkey in his first media availability of the offseason. Asked about the former Georgia product, Herbert had this to say:
He’s just picked up the offense so easily. It’s like he’s been a four or five-year vet. He understands the game, he understands leverage. He’s a smart player, he’s very athletic. He can beat man coverage, find the soft spot in zones.
Based on reporting from The Athletic’s Daniel Popper from both OTAs and minicamp, Herbert has built quite the rapport with McConkey. He’s done most of his work from the slot. On the first day of minicamp, he caught four passes from Herbert. That included a critical third down conversion where he beat Ja’Sir Taylor, per Popper.
McConkey’s footwork was always top-notch coming out of this year’s draft class, despite some questions about his size and functional strength. Going against his first NFL competition will certainly provide some natural obstacles to deal with. But it’s a positive sign that he has an in-depth understanding of leverage already in addition to building his connection with Herbert.
McConkey has yet to sign his rookie contract formally, but there should be an expectation that gets done between now and training camp.