Is Drake London the next great Falcons WR?

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Drake London NFL Draft 2022: Scouting Report



HEIGHT: 6'3 7/8"
WEIGHT: 219
HAND: 9 3/8"
ARM: 33"
WINGSPAN: 6'5 3/4"

Drake London is a big-bodied receiver who aligns primarily on the outside but has snaps of running routes from the slot based on the play call. His basketball background shows up in his play with his ability to use his length and consistently extend and snatch throws away from his body.

POSITIVES

• Excellent size and length for the WR position.
• Good body control for his size. Can sink when he has to break on his routes and can bend enough to win leverage against DBs.
• Good overall route-runner who understands how to tempo his routes to keep CBs off balance. Able to stay tight at the top of his routes, which is even more impressive given his size.
• Very good hands with excellent catching range. Is comfortable extending away from his body to haul in throws. Makes his big frame even bigger by snatching throws in traffic.
• Not overly shifty but can create yards after the catch because of balance and body strength. Smaller defenders bounce off of him.
• Has burst with the ball in his hands that shows he’s viable on screens and underneath throws. Can get north in a hurry.
• Understands when to settle in soft spots versus zone coverages and stay friendly to the QB on his routes.

NEGATIVES

• Large size limits his lateral quickness.
• Blocking technique can be inconsistent and disappointing given his size.
• Brings effort but is inconsistent with sustaining it.

Bleacher Report

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Pros and Cons for every first-round Pick

8. Atlanta Falcons

Drake London, WR, USC | Highlights



Why they picked him: The Atlanta Falcons really -- I mean, really -- needed a wide receiver. Julio Jones was traded last year. Calvin Ridley is suspended for gambling. Russell Gage is in Tampa Bay. So the Falcons had to find receiver talent in this draft. Add to that, head coach Arthur Smith likes big-bodied receivers and the 6-foot-5 wide receiver makes a whole bunch of sense.

Biggest question: There aren't many. London makes a ton of sense for Atlanta at a position where the premium has gone up in the past few months because of the monster contracts given to Tyreek Hill, Christian Kirk and others. But the question remains for the Falcons -- who is going to be rushing the passer for them. It's something they have to figure out on Day 2. -- Michael Rothstein

2022 projection: 110 targets, 70 receptions, 904 yards, five TDs

ESPN

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Atlanta Falcons: B+

The Falcons are building for the long term here by grabbing a big-time playmaker in London, who combines elite size with savvy route-running skill and catch-point-winning prowess. The former Trojans star will pair up well with tight end Kyle Pitts to form a dynamic receiving duo, and should give the team’s future franchise quarterback (whenever he arrives) a soft landing spot. London is my third-ranked receiver, but he should fit like a glove in head coach and play-caller Arthur Smith’s scheme.

The Ringer

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Falcons don’t consider London pick a reach



Drake London was the No. 15 prospect on The Athletic’s Dane Brugler’s final Big Board rankings, and making him the first wide receiver selected in a draft loaded with wide receiver talent opens Atlanta to some second-guessing. London was the highest-rated player on the Falcons’ board at any position when it was Atlanta’s turn to pick, said general manager Terry Fontenot, who added he fielded calls about trading back but didn’t consider any of the offers serious.

The Falcons do have some numbers to back up their opinion of London.

The first are these: He’s 6-foot-4 and 219 pounds. Head coach Arthur Smith has wanted to add size to Atlanta’s wide receiver corps since he joined the franchise. With London, Smith has done that with the added bonus of getting a player who knows how to use that size.

Here are the other numbers to bolster Atlanta’s argument: 88 catches, 1,084 yards, seven touchdowns. That was London’s production last season in eight games. His final collegiate season was cut short by a broken ankle suffered in the eighth game. London averaged 15 targets per game last season.

Even with all that, London’s most important attributes can’t be numerically calculated, Fontenot said. The Falcons were impressed that London played both in the slot and on the outside at USC.

“The way we play and guys move around, you have to be able to (play inside and outside),” Falcons HC Arthur Smith said. “You’ve seen him run the routes we’ll ask him to run. You’re very confident in the player you are getting. It’s a really valuable offensive weapon for us.”

The Athletic

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[atlantabbq99]

I don't like the pick. I would have taken Jordan Davis or Kyle Hamilton.

With a pick that high and being the first WR picked in a deep WR draft class, hopefully London will prove me wrong and turn into another Julio.

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[graymule]

He has a lot to learn but he's working on it.

[HMFFL]

Injured in his first preseason game..

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[HMFFL]

He caught his third touchdown today against Seattle.

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[atlantabbq99]

I'm not impressed with Drake, but then again, my bar for WR is Julio and Roddy White. I still would have preferred to get Jordan Davis or Kyle Hamilton, but with that said, Drake does seem like the best WR of the draft so far.

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Grading Every 2022 1st-Round Rookie in the NFL

Drake London, WR, Atlanta Falcons

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Grade: A+

The Atlanta Falcons made Drake London the first wide receiver off the board in April, and there might not have been a more perfect pairing between player and team. The Falcons had a new quarterback in Marcus Mariota and had lost No. 1 receiver Calvin Ridley to an indefinite suspension for gambling on the NFL.

London has been every bit the No. 1 receiver that Atlanta needs him to be. The USC product has caught 16 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns while providing a passer rating of 101.1 when targeted.

It's early in the year, but it appears London has officially supplanted tight end Kyle Pitts as the Falcons' go-to guy. The rookie has been targeted 25 times, or roughly 33 percent of Atlanta's throws this season.

What's impressive is that opponents largely know the ball is either going to London or Pitts (18 targets) and still can't completely contain the former Trojan. London should be considered the early front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Bleacher Report

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Ranking NFL's Top Rookie WRs

1. Drake London, Atlanta Falcons



The moment the Atlanta Falcons picked him, Drake London assumed the responsibility of leading a depleted receiving corps.

So far, he's handled that responsibility well.

Although he managed just two receptions in Week 4, it was London's first quiet game of the year. He tallied five catches for 74 yards against the Saints in Week 1 then collected eight receptions for 86 yards and a touchdown with a two-point conversion in Atlanta's loss to the Los Angeles Rams. London had three catches for 54 yards and a score at the Seattle Seahawks, too.

Given the context of the team—Marcus Mariota at quarterback with Kyle Pitts searching for a larger impact after his 1,000-yard rookie year—London's presence has been especially vital in Atlanta.

Bleacher Report

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Rough Day for the rookie...

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Career Day!!!

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