The Falcons first-round pick has officially signed his contract. The team announced that they’ve signed receiver Drake London to his rookie pact. The first four years of London’s contract are fully guaranteed.
London was the first receiver off the board after the Falcons used the No. 8 pick on the USC product. This feat came despite London appearing in only eight games this past season, as a fractured ankle ended his season prematurely. London still put up impressive numbers, reeling in 88 receptions for 1,084 yards and 7 touchdowns. Before he missed any time, he led the NCAA in receiving yards, contested catches (19), and missed tackles (22) and was the highest-graded receiver according to Pro Football Focus.
At the time of his injury, London was widely considered a top wide receiver in college football, and the injury clearly did nothing to impact his draft stock. Fortunately, the wideout didn’t suffer any ligament damage, so his recovery and future outlook are both promising.
The Falcons offense will look a whole lot different next season with Matt Ryan no longer in Atlanta. Veteran Marcus Mariota will replace him under center, and London should instantly be one of his preferred targets, especially with Calvin Ridley suspended. The Falcons used their 2021 first-round pick on tight end Kyle Pitts, and the offensive weapons should highlight Atlanta’s offense for years to come.
The Falcons have now inked half of their draft picks to contracts after signing running back Tyler Allgeier (fifth round), offensive guard Justin Shaffer (sixth round), and tight end John FitzPatrick (sixth round).
This is the one first round receiver that the “experts” can’t seem to agree on. Nobody doubts he can fight for a catch downfield – but there seems to be a lot of concern regarding his ability to get off the line of scrimmage.
It is a difficult evaluation since he didn’t play last year
I think you guys both might be a little mixed up. Yes, he played last season and was on a crazy great pace before breaking his ankle, which kept him from running the 40, among other stuff.
And it’s not his downfield stuff that’s great or his releases that are most questioned. He gets open quickly and kills it on congested catches. It’s more a question of if his speed is a problem and how his game will translate against NFL competition.
He will translate just fine. This guy will be an excellent pro. Hold the mike Evans comparisons though. He is not Mike Evans.
I personally like a Brandon Marshall comparison as a best case scenario. And that’s a damn good WR.