NFL legend grades Ladd McConkey's stellar rookie season

After many believed they'd take a wide receiver in the first round of last year's draft, the Los Angeles Chargers elected to take a different route. They selected Joe Alt at No. 5 overall, then traded up in the second round to grab Ladd McConkey.

Nobody could've envisioned just how incredible McConkey's rookie season went. McConkey caught 82 passes for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns in 16 games. Unfortunately for the Chargers, they were dominated in the Wild Card round. However, McConkey was on fire, catching nine passes for 197 yards and one touchdown, basically the only source of offense on the day.

Legendary wideout Steve Smith continued his 'Rookie Report Card' series on YouTube, finally getting to McConkey's debut season. Smith gave the Chargers' star an 'A' grade for his rookie year, here's how he broke it down:

Star Factor: A
Situation: A-
Impact: A
Potential: B
Route Running: A

This is seriously high praise from one of the league's all-time greats. The Chargers should be excited for McConkey's second season and beyond.

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