Two under the radar wide receivers standing out at Senior Bowl

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The Reese’s Senior Bowl is underway in Mobile, Alabama, and there were several guys who impressed on Day 1. Two of which should intrigue Falcons fans very much. Like many NFL teams, the Falcons have put a lot of emphasis on the Senior Bowl in the past. This is one of the best places for prospects, particularly ones that are flying under the radar, to compete and rise up draft boards.

The Falcons have a plethora of needs, some of which will get addressed in free agency before the draft, but they have to add multiple wide receivers to their roster this offseason. The promising news is this is one of the most loaded drafts for wide receivers I can remember. The top of the board has several players that could become #1 wide receivers as rookies, like Malik Nabers, Marvin Harrison Jr, and Rome Odunze. But the depth of this group is also what makes it so special, and two guys on day one at the Reese’s Senior Bowl stood out above the rest, one of which Falcons fans should be very familiar with.

Ladd McConkey

Ladd McConkey quickly became a fan favorite for the Georgia Bulldogs. He’s a Swiss Army Knife type of receiver that can be trusted on third downs, beat defenders deep with his deceptive athleticism, and hurt defenses on the ground. As a Sophomore, he caught for 762 yards and seven touchdowns on 58 receptions. He also added 134 yards on the ground on just seven carries, scoring twice more.

Injuries plagued Ladd McConkey this past season. He only played in eight games, and most of the time, he was never fully healthy, which is the reason for the drop-off statistically, but I don’t expect that to do too much harm to his draft stock based on the way he was able to get open effortlessly against his competition at the Senior Bowl.

Roman Wilson

Roman Wilson broke out for the Michigan Wolverines this season as a Senior, catching for nearly 800 yards and 12 touchdowns, including several massive plays in the College Football Playoff that helped lift his team to the National Championship. Wilson’s collegiate stats aren’t going to blow anyone away, but they should be taken with a grain of salt because of the offense he was playing in at Michigan. The Wolverines have been a run-first football team his entire career, but when they needed a big play, Wilson turned into their go-to target.

To put it into perspective, Nico Collins never caught for more than 729 yards in a season at Michigan, but he’s since turned into a legitimate #2 with #1 potential now that he has C.J. Stroud throwing him passes. Roman Wilson has good hands with the ability to make contested catches and has shown a knack for knowing how to get open. Both he and McConkey are establishing themselves as guys that could potentially be taken in the second round of the NFL Draft, perhaps even higher.

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Photo: Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire

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