NFL Draft Profile: Drake London, Wide Receiver, USC Trojans

NFL draft profile scouting report for USC wide receiver, Drake London

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#15
Pos: WR
Ht: 6037
Wt: 219
Hand: 0938
Arm: 3300
Wing: 7768
40: N/A
Bench: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
Shuttle: N/A
Vert: N/A
Broad: N/A
DOB: 7/24/01
Eligible: 2022
Moorpark, CA
Moorpark High School

Drake London
USC Trojans

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One-Liners

A well-rounded receiver prospect, Drake London has a rare combination of size, movement skills, hands, technique and run after catch ability. He should start immediately in the NFL and has high-level upside if he can fine-tune certain nuances in his game.

Pros:

Natural catcher of the ball. Tough runner after the catch and runs with an edge to him. Possesses good body control and a large catch radius to haul in passes in his relative area. Excellent concentration in traffic and over the middle of the field to keep his eye on the ball throughout the catch process. He is aware of where the space is in the defense to attack the holes. Sudden footwork at the top of his routes to keep defenders a step or two off of him. Can operate at all levels of the field. Great sideline awareness to understand where is on the field at all times, secure the catch and get his feet in bounds consistently. Slippery with the ball in his hands. Very smooth and technical in his process to create separation in that way. He displays great effort and willpower to put his body on the line in order to make some catches. Has the experience lining up in the slot and out wide. Effort and willingness are there when blocking. 

Cons:

Not overly creative or dynamic as a route runner to earn separation. Lacks urgency from his release packages. He isn’t fast in terms of pure foot speed to beat most defenders one-on-one down the field. His functional strength will be tested at the next level, especially when is matched up in press coverage. He is definitely a liability when it comes to run blocking, USC’s offense usually stayed away from his side of the field when running the ball. Lacked the overall strength and technique to complete blocks through the whistle. 

Summary:

Drake London is an experienced underclassmen starter for the USC Trojans who has seen starter reps since arriving as a freshman. He originally spent most of his time in the slot before moving to a wider role this season. London is an extremely natural athlete who can be described as a pure playmaker. He is extremely well-rounded at the catch point, being able to make his body bigger and haul in impressive catches. Body control is out of this world. Extending plays after the catch comes naturally as well with his powerful, downhill running style to fight for extra yards. There is still some development to grow into with the nuances of his release packages, route running and blocking ability. Drake London is a premier player in this class if he recovers smoothly from the recently suffered ankle injury. 

Background:

Born on July 24th, 2001, Drake London grew up in his hometown of Moorpark, California. At Moorpark High School, the Trojan star was a standout athlete. As a junior, London was named to the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Juniors third team and the Los Angeles Daily News All-Area second team. He also made All-CIF Division 5. After his senior season, London was named 2018 PrepStar All-American, All-CIF Division 3 and All-Camino League Co-Wide Receiver of the Year. Further, he made the Tacoma News Tribune Western 100, Cal-Hi Sports All-State third team and Los Angeles Daily News All-Area first team. In addition to his work as a football star, London had an impressive basketball career at Moorpark High School. In his junior season, London averaged 19.8 points per game, 11.1 rebounds per game and 3.9 assists per game. As a senior, he averaged 29.2 points per game, 11.9 rebounds per game and 3.8 assists per game. He was named All-CIF Division 4 and Los Angeles Times All-Area. After his stellar high school career, 247Sports Composite Rankings listed London as a four-star recruit, the 247th-overall player in his class, the 35th-best receiver in his year and the 33rd-ranked recruit in the state of California. Additionally, 247Sports listed the athlete as a 3-star basketball recruit, the 189th-overall recruit in his class, the 30th-best shooting guard in his year and the 16th-ranked recruit in the state of California. London was an immediate impact player for the Trojans’ football team. As a freshman, he was named to the 2019 Pro Football Focus Freshman All-American third team. After the 2019 season, the star receiver joined USC’s basketball team. He did not score and averaged 1.0 rebound per game through three games. Despite a lackluster basketball season marred by illness, London continued his stellar football career in 2020. The talented sophomore pass-catcher was named to the 2020 All-Pac-12 second team, AP All-Pac-12 second team, Pro Football Focus All-Pac-12 first team and Phil Steele All-Pac-12 first team. In December of 2020, London left the USC basketball team and decided to focus on football. He is a Communication major in USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

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Floor/Ceiling: Average Starter / Above-Average Starter

Scheme Fit: X with big slot versatility

Grade: Mid/Late 1st Round

Injury History: 

Fractured right ankle, ending his 2021 season.

Character Notes: 

N/A

Quotable

“I said it in an interview in the preseason, he’s the best receiver to come out of the 805 in history,” said former Hueneme High and USC receiver Keary Colbert, who was London’s position coach with the Trojans. “I meant that. That’s how much I’ve thought of him. He went out and did it. I’ll forever be proud of the way he handled himself. … He’ll be fun to watch over the next years.”

“You don’t see guys with his size move the way that he moves. He moves like a little guy, but he’s a big guy. That’s rare.” -- Former NFL wideout TJ Houshmandzadeh on Drake London, who he has been training leading up to the NFL Draft