Don't forget that Bryce's dad campaigned for XL before the draft. You think the FO still trades up for him without that? I doubt it.
And I've worn this tinfoil for awhile but I'm convinced they passed on McConkey because they saw him as redundant with Theilen on the roster. They weren't sure how much longer Theilen had, he wanted action, and they didn't want to risk a rookie eating into his touches. XL was the safer choice because he was a different sort of reciever and the preferred pick of Bryce's camp. Legette will forever be the scapegoat but I think those dummies chose what amounted to a two year rental of Old Man Theilen over Ladd.