We always knew Drake London had what it takes to become one of the NFL's best wide receivers; it just came down to finding consistency at the quarterback position.
Last year, he saw more accurate passes headed his way, helping him finish fourth in receiving yards. However, there was still room for improvement.
When Michael Penix Jr. took over, London's production increased in each game, ending in a massive Week 18 performance that will carry over into the 2025 season.
Drake London will be come the NFL's best wide receiver in 2025
No receiver has had more success catching contested passes than Drake London these past two years. He is an extraordinary threat regardless of the coverage.
Michael Penix Jr. figured that out fast as he started spamming passes his direction.
Here are his stats in each game with Penix:
- Week 16: 8 tgts, 5 recs, 59 yds, 0 TDs
- Week 17: 13 tgts, 7 recs, 106 yds, 0 TDs
- Week 18: 18 tgts, 10 recs, 187 yds, 2 TDs
What often gets lost in the fold is that Penix had no experience throwing to London and his fellow starters until he was named the starter. Even by the end of the season, he didn't have great chemistry, yet it rarely showed.
The best way to illustrate how the top receiver's stock has skyrocketed is by comparing his averages with Kirk Cousins and Penix.
Stats (per game) | Kirk Cousins | Michael Penix Jr. |
|---|---|---|
Games | 14 | 3 |
Targets | 8.5 | 13 |
Receptions | 5.6 | 7.3 |
Yards | 65.7 | 117.3 |
Yds/Rec | 11.8 | 16 |
The thing that catches your eye the most is the average yards; he nearly doubled his yards, largely thanks to averaging 4.2 yards more per catch.
Now, think about what these two can do with a full offseason and season of work together...
As was highlighted in my article about why the Falcons must extend London before the season kicks off, a 17-game season with those averages would equate to 125 catches on 221 targets for 1,995 yards and 11 touchdowns.
That would break the franchise's record in receiving yards and rank second in receptions (Julio Jones' 2015 season ranks first with 136 receptions for 1,871 yards). It would also tie him for fourth in receiving touchdowns.
Sustaining those averages for 17 games is highly unlikely, but we could easily see a 100-catch, 1,400-yard, 10-touchdown season by London.
We should be extremely excited to see what Drake London can do with the lefty throwing him the ball for a full season.