Mock Draft Roundup: Georgia WR Ladd McConkey making move up boards

Senior Bowl week is over, and with that, attention in the NFL turns back to the Playoffs – specifically the Super Bowl. As it pertains to the NFL Draft though, the buzz coming out of Mobile is still very much alive. Georgia’s Ladd McConkey is seen as one of the bigger movers while guys like Javon Bullard, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and Tykee Smith also shined. Then of course there’s the Bulldogs that weren’t participants but still are viewed as potential first round picks. We take a look at it all in the latest DawgsHQ mock draft roundup.

ESPN – Matt Miller

Miller was in attendance at the Senior Bowl last week and got a good feel for what the scouting industry thinks about some of the players there. He joins Jordan Reid and the legendary Mel Kiper Jr. in having put out a mock draft for ESPN.

Brock Bowers – No. 14 (New Orleans Saints) – “The Saints miss out on the quarterbacks and top wide receivers in this scenario, but they land a legitimate top-10 talent in Bowers. Built in the mold of George Kittle or Sam LaPorta, Bowers had 56 catches and six scores in 2023, and he left college with 26 career receiving touchdowns to go along with five rushing scores. The 6-foot-4 240-pounder shows great strength when asked to block, but his real value is as a middle-of-the-field receiver, where he can post up safeties and run past linebackers.”

Amarius Mims – No. 20 (Pittsburgh Steelers) – “In the 2023 draft, the Steelers found a solid first-round lineman in Broderick Jones. Let’s do it again in 2024 with another Georgia tackle. Mims started only eight games in college because of injury and the great depth on the Bulldogs’ offensive line, but scouts were raving about his tape throughout the season. There isn’t a better mover at tackle in the class, and he backs that up with 330 pounds of power. With Jones able to play left tackle, Mims could come in as the team’s starter and future on the right side.”

Ladd McConkey – No. 33 (Carolina Panthers) – “The Panthers didn’t do a great job surrounding rookie quarterback Bryce Young with talent at wide receiver in 2023 and must make major additions this offseason. McConkey is the best route runner in the draft with excellent stop-start quickness and acceleration out of his cuts. He’s also sure-handed enough to be the Panthers’ No. 1 receiving option.”

Kamari Lassiter – No. 41 (Green Bay Packers via NYJ) – “I know the Packers took a cornerback in Round 1 (DeJean), but they still need more help. That’s especially true when you consider Jaire Alexander played just seven games this season. Lassiter is a powerful cornerback at the line of scrimmage who had eight pass breakups and allowed nine catches in 2023. That’s a great ratio. Lassiter is the type of enforcer new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley will want in this defense.”

Javon Bullard – No. 62 (Baltimore Ravens) – “The Baltimore defense is built from the inside out, and team will be tasked with re-signing defensive tackle Justin Madubuike and linebacker Patrick Queen in free agency. If either player leaves, this pick would pivot to that respective position. For now, I’m focusing on safety, though. Bullard is an instinctive safety with four interceptions, 11 pass breakups and 3.5 sacks over the past two seasons. His ability to thrive both in the box and in coverage would provide Baltimore an answer at the position if free agent Geno Stone can’t be retained.”

PFF – Trevor Sikkema and Connor Rogers (NFL Stock Exchange)

Brock Bowers – No. 5 (Los Angeles Chargers)
Amarius Mims – No. 24 (Dallas Cowboys)
Ladd McConkey – No. 34 (New England Patriots)
Kamari Lassiter – No. 44 (Las Vegas Raiders)

Notes and Quotes: Remove the sarcastic comparisons to former Patriots players like Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan, the PFF podcast did make good points about McConkey’s skillset compared to that of Hogan. Both are athletic guys with backgrounds starring in other sports (lacrosse for Hogan, basketball for McConkey). They both have the ability to play on the outside with separation downfield a big asset of theirs. All jokes aside, it’s not a terrible comparison – nor would it be a bad NFL career for McConkey if his played out the same way. As for Mims and Lassiter, less was said about them other than their natural fit for the team needs of their projected landing places. The Cowboys could be looking at a right tackle, and Mims would fit there – with potential to possibly flip over to the left side if necessary later on in his career. Meanwhile, the Raiders need help in the secondary and a guy like Lassiter – a second former Georgia DB in as many years – could see the field early.

On Bowers: “Bowers was that guy that for so long, we were like, ‘We love him. He’s so good, but we can never find a spot for him in the top 10.’ And now it feels like it’s starting to skewer the league that this guy is just so good that he’s going to go. Just accept it. He is going to go … Bowers is seen as an absolute game changing offensive threat … Jimmy (Jim Harbaugh) likes to play that heavy personnel, man, and you go back to his San Francisco 49ers days, I know it’s a different age of football, that was 10 years ago, but the Vernon Davis usage, I think he sees this guy as a true chess piece.”

NFL.com – Eric Edholm 1.0

Edholm is the third NFL.com writer to put his predictions out, joining Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks. Their mock drafts are included in our previous roundup piece, which can be found here.

Brock Bowers – No. 5 (Los Angeles Chargers) – “Not everyone will agree with a tight end in the top five, even after Kyle Pitts broke that glass ceiling a few years ago and Sam LaPorta just played like one of the five best NFL rookies this season. Bowers — a California native who grew up a six-hour drive north of Los Angeles in wine country — could be the perfect weapon for Justin Herbert and Jim Harbaugh, who can use Bowers like he did Vernon Davis in San Francisco.”

Amarius Mims – No. 24 (Dallas Cowboys) – “Tyron Smith is a pending free agent, potentially opening up a big OL job. The hulking Mims is a tricky evaluation because of a lack of experience and some holes in his game. But as with the Tyler Smith pick a couple years ago, the Cowboys might be willing to gamble on upside and hope that enmeshing Mims with a talented group will give him a strong shot to succeed.”