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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London received positive recognition from NFL evaluators who spoke to ESPN following NFL Rank’s annual Top 100 Players list.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shared some comments on the third-year pro, a former USC star who was selected eighth overall in the 2022 NFL Draft.
“Atlanta’s Drake London is a name that has been mentioned several times when league evaluators were asked this question. The third-year wide receiver failed to reach 1,000 yards in his first two seasons, making it difficult to break into the big leagues. But the talent is obvious, and so is the fit with new quarterback Kirk Cousins, who is a big addition at the position for Atlanta.
“‘Kirk will throw to him a lot,’ said one AFC executive. ‘He’ll get a lot of 50-50 balls. Haven’t had a capable quarterback yet. Atlanta will get a lot more out of the offense in general.'”
London didn’t get off to a particularly explosive start in his first two seasons, catching 72 passes for 866 yards and four scores in 2022 before adding a 69/905/2 stat line as a sophomore. In fact, several factors worked against him.
First, the team has had three starting quarterbacks during his tenure (Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, and Taylor Heinecke). All of them have struggled to some degree, and none of them are currently the QB1 position.
Second, the Falcons were under the leadership of head coach Arthur Smith. Under him, Atlanta finished second in run percentage in 2022 and fourth in 2023.
Four-time Pro Bowler Kirk Cousins is now QB1 and the Falcons are under a new coaching regime (head coach Raheem Morris, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson), so all doors are open for London to succeed in 2024.
There is hope he can make it. The latest FantasyPros rankings have him ranked 11th among wideouts and 17th overall.
We’ll soon find out if London can do it when he and the Falcons face the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 8th.
