Atlanta Falcons fans have known for years now that Drake London is a special talent at the wide receiver position. With his blend of size, route-running, and elite hands, London has become one of the more reliable pass-catchers in the game and is finally starting to break into the elite receiver tier.
London has no Pro Bowls or All-Pros to his name, but has been one of the NFL's most consistent producers at the wide receiver position. He's been hampered by constant quarterback instability across his four NFL seasons, yet has been the pinnacle of what a young wide receiver should be.
And it seems like the NFL's best players are finally noticing it. In the NFL's annual top 100 players list as voted on by the players, the 24-year-old came in at 66th, a 31-spot jump from his 97th-place finish last season. And London also came in three spots ahead of two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson.
Drake London came in 66th place on the NFL's Top 100 players
At this point, the list itself needs to be taken with a massive grain of salt, but that doesn't make the praise London got from some of the NFL's best players any less valid. Indianapolis Colts receiver Alec Pierce heaped praise upon the fifth-year wideout, especially in regards to how refined his game is.
"I've always liked Drake London's game," Pierce said. "I like the way he attacks the football, high-points it... (He's) always been a smooth player, smooth route runner. Something about those USC guys, man. They prepare them well there. They know how to run routes."
But it isn't just out-of-conference opponents or other receivers like Pierce who used this list to appreciate just what Drake London has been for the Falcons. He's not on Ja'Marr Chase's level, but he's the type of wideout who makes a QB's life easier--and we haven't even seen his best football yet.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs has faced London and the Dirty Birds twice a year for each of the last four years, so if there's anyone who knows what he's capable of, it's Wirfs. And he even likened the USC product's skillset to that of his now-former Bucs teammate Mike Evans.
"I think he falls in the category of A.J. Brown and Mike (Evans), those bigger guys," Wirfs said. "We've seen him have those jump balls and come down with them, with those contested catches."
At 6-foot-4 and 218 pounds, it's hard to not be a deadly red zone threat. London is a beast in the contested catch game, and there were too many instances where he bailed out Michael Penix Jr. with a sensational grab. And when it comes to 50-50 balls, his catch radius makes him impossible to cover.
There are so many different qualities that make a wide receiver elite, and it's nice to see the London bridge finally getting his flowers despite the QB woes. There's a reason the Falcons just gave this man a four-year, $141 million contract extension and $100 million guaranteed.
Seeing the nuance to Drake London's game beyond the physical tools confirms what Falcons fans already knew: his perception in league circles will only get better as this ranking does.
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