Ladd McConkey makes Patriots’ 2024 draft trade look worse by the day originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick had a notoriously poor track record of selecting wide receivers in the early rounds in the NFL Draft.
It looks like Eliot Wolf is continuing that tradition.
Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey had a team-high six catches for 87 yards in Los Angeles’ win over the Denver Broncos on Thursday night, giving him eight straight games with at least 50 receiving yards. That’s the longest streak by a rookie since Odell Beckham Jr., who won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2014.
What does McConkey’s performance have to do with the Patriots? Well, the Chargers landed McConkey thanks to a 2024 NFL Draft trade with New England, in which the Patriots sent the 34th and 137th overall picks to Los Angeles in exchange for the 37th and 110th picks.
Here’s how both teams used these picks:
Let’s compare those players’ stats, shall we?
McConkey has 69 catches on 94 targets for 960 yards with five touchdowns through 14 games, which ranks him ninth among all NFL pass catchers and second among rookie pass catchers behind lone tight end Brock Bowers. The Georgia product has recorded at least five catches in 10 different games and at least 50 receiving yards in nine games.
Still, the Chargers’ fifth-round pick from Maryland has played 12 games at cornerback for Los Angeles with 10 starts and four interceptions — tied for second among all rookies — along with 10 pass breakups, a pick-six, 51 tackles and half a sack .
As for Polk and Baker? Polk has 12 catches on 32 targets for 87 yards and two touchdowns on the seasonwhile Baker has zero catches on one target in eight games played. (For those scoring at home, McConkey had as many receiving yards against Denver on Thursday night as Polk and Baker combined this entire season.)
Context should be noted here: McConkey is catching passes from a Pro Bowl quarterback (Justin Herbert) in a strong offense with a decent offensive line. The Patriots have perhaps the worst offensive line in football and no top receiver talent to speak of, so it’s hard to imagine McConkey would put up such gaudy numbers if he were in New England this season.
That said, we can’t ignore the fact that the Chargers have turned the two picks they received from New England into two starting-caliber players with Pro Bowl upside, while the Patriots have gotten essentially zero production from their two selections, both of which also have problems off the field.
Wolf may have hit a home run with Drake Maye at No. 3, but the rest of his first draft leading the Patriots’ front office has been a disaster so far.
