Former Aggies wide receiver KC Concepcion got on the wrong side of the discourse at the NFL Combine. During his media appearance, he looked tense and stuttered. Few knew about Concepcion’s speech impediment, a problem he has faced since childhood. A few weeks ago, the WR publicly addressed the issue. Now, his college head coach, Mike Elko, has also sent a powerful message regarding Concepcion.

“He’s awesome,” Elko said about Concepcion on April 23 on the Good Morning Football podcast. “I actually played against him when I was at Duke, and he was a true freshman. And so I saw him firsthand on the field. When he went into the portal, he was one of our coveted targets. We were able to get him down there, and he was everything we thought he would be. He’s got unbelievable separation skills and can make the big play. He plays bigger than he is, phenomenal in the punt return game. He’s an elite separator. He’s gonna be a really good NFL receiver for sure.”

Concepcion started his college football career at NC State in 2023 and notched 839 receiving yards as a true freshman. That was also the year he made his debut against Mike Elko’s Duke Blue Devils and caught for 63 yards, even though the Wolfpack lost 3-24. He showed continuous improvement, and when Elko had a chance to get him to College Station in 2025, the Aggies’ head coach didn’t have to think twice.

In Texas A&M’s 2025 playoff-qualifying season, the Aggies WR contributed 919 receiving yards at an impressive 15.1 yards per reception. He was also reliable as a rusher, scoring a touchdown on the ground and notching 75 rushing yards. Most importantly, Concepcion was also a standout punt returner, as he totaled 456 returning yards last year, even scoring two touchdowns doing so. But don’t think on-field heroics are the only aspects that define Concepcion.

“I’ve never seen a guy who would actually cook and invite his teammates over,” Aggies OC Holmon Wiggins said about Concepcion. “I’m sad that I didn’t get a chance to try out any of his food, but I would hear from the other guys, and I would gauge their interest. Especially, (starting quarterback) Marcel (Reed), even Marcel was like, ‘Coach, he can throw down.”

Such is his personality that he formed strong bonds with his teammates at A&M despite being at the program for just one season. Concepcion’s chemistry with his QB Marcel Reed was particularly on point throughout the 2025 campaign. Those are the qualities NFL GMs prize the most in their rookies. Understandably, that should give the Panthers’ GM, Dan Morgan, enough evidence to solve his looming draft dilemma.

Will the Panthers pick Concepcion?

Several mock drafts have already predicted the Panthers to take former Oregon TE, Kenyon Sadiq, at 19th overall. CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco also predicted the same. However, he also acknowledged that the team would benefit more with a playmaker like KC Concepcion complementing Tet McMillan. While that didn’t solve the dilemma, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has now picked a clear side.

“Concepcion offers immediate burst and separation into space,” Lance Zierlein said. “He’s elusive in beating press and getting into breaks with minimum damage from handsy coverage. While he has a one-speed approach, he can snap off routes with alarming suddenness, making him extremely difficult to match at leveraged break points. He’s instinctive against zone. He’s also a nightmare for man coverage on choice routes and near the goal line.”

Concepcion is arguably the top-3 wide receiver in this year’s NFL draft, and he presents excellent contested catching ability. Last season, the Paul Hornung awardee converted 10 of his 15 contested catching situations, despite a smaller frame at 5’11” and 190 lbs. Combine that with his ability to garner yards after the catch, with over half of his receiving yards coming from YAC, and Concepcion looks like a legit pick for the Panthers.