The Los Angeles Chargers feel they’re turning the page and moving past their troubled history after hiring head coach Jim Harbaugh.
Harbaugh is a proven winner and culture-builder, and he is surely looking to make the Chargers a team that wins with defense by playing a smash-mouth version of football, just as his University of Michigan and San Francisco 49ers teams did in the past.
It will be an extended process for Los Angeles, especially since they lack any real threats at wide receiver, but they’re hoping incoming rookie Ladd McConkey, the No. 34 pick in April’s draft, will change that.
On Monday, McConkey agreed to a contract that will pay him the most guaranteed money in NFL history for a player chosen at No. 34, per Ian Rapoport.
The #Chargers and Ladd McConkey reached a 4-year deal today with the most guaranteed money in NFL history for a 34th pick.
It beat the QB premium for the same pick in ‘23, carrying the most guarantees over a pick below in the round. Ladd’s agent @ChrisCabott confirmed the deal. pic.twitter.com/FJsD5rH52D
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 17, 2024
McConkey played his college football at the University of Georgia, and in his three seasons on the field, he totaled 1,687 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns in 39 games.
While he has good speed, he has a lanky frame that could give him problems at the next level, especially against more bulky defensive backs.
But he did win two College Football Playoff National Championship Games while with the Bulldogs, and in the second of those championship game victories, he had five catches, 88 yards and two touchdowns.
Right now, the Chargers’ most productive wide receiver is Joshua Palmer, who recorded 581 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games last season.
They’re also hoping to get more out of Quentin Johnston, their first-round pick last year who had a very anemic and disappointing rookie season.
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