The Atlanta Falcons are far from being a championship contender as they prepare for Michael Penix Jr's first full season as a starter, but a skill position group led by wide receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson stands out as one of the best in the NFC.
London finally had his coming out party last year after a few years of quality, yet sub-star level, play. London is finally starting to get the wider recognition his play merits, even crossing going from a promising young player to someone on the fringes of the 10 best in the league.
Pro Football Focus ranked London as the 11th-best wide receiver in all of football, putting him above names like Garrett Wilson, Tee Higgins, and future Hall of Famer Davante Adams. Only Terry McLaurin and divisional rival Mike Evans were able to keep London out of the Top 10.
The fact London has been able to achieve this level of praise despite getting his targets impacted by some suspect passing games shows that a fully functioning Penix could be all this offense needs to take this team from a good one to a great one.
Falcons' Drake London ranked as No. 11 WR in NFL by PFF
London caught 100 passes for 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns last season, which is extraordinary for two reasons. Primarily, playing alongside the shell of what used to be Kirk Cousins and a left-handed rookie playing in his first few games in Penix is far from an ideal environment.
Second, the only player who was able to attract a secondary's attention away from him was tight end Kyle Pitts, who hasn't developed in the way Atlanta would have hoped and is regarded as a slight disappointment. London should thrive once the Falcons add to Penix's list of targets.
London's ability to use his 6-4 frame as a weapon has made him one of the best possession receivers in the game. Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson comes from the Sean McVay tree, and McVay offenses always find ways to force-feed their No. 1 receiver the ball as often as possible.
As Penix grows into a solid NFL starter and gradually smooths out the rough edges in his game, look for London to receive an even bigger share of targets coming his way. By the end of the year, it's not unreasonable to expect London eventually making a run at a spot in the Top 10.