Rookie WR Drake London Back at Falcons Practice; Will He Play Sunday vs. Saints?

The No. 8 overall pick hasn't practiced since injuring his knee in the first preseason game.

Jeremy Brener | Sep 5, 2022

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Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London is preparing for his first NFL season and he moved a step closer to making his debut during Monday's practice.

Monday marks the first time London is back to practicing on the field rather than the sideline. London injured his knee on Aug. 12 during the team's preseason opener against the Detroit Lions and hasn't been back on the field since ... until today.

With the team's regular season opener just six days away, there's optimism that London will be ready to suit up for his NFL debut in the Falcons' first game. We'll get more confirmation when the injury report comes out Wednesday, but signs are pointing towards London being the team's No. 1 receiver Sunday afternoon.

Atlanta lost a pair of talented wideouts in back-to-back years, which began by trading Julio Jones to the Tennessee Titans in 2021. In March, the NFL indefinitely suspended the Falcons' top receiver in Calvin Ridley for illegal betting. With those two gone, London should be at the top of the depth chart when it's released later this week.

London notched 2,153 yards on 160 catches to go along with 15 touchdowns during his three-year stint with the USC Trojans.

He's expected to be Marcus Mariota's top target this season along with tight end Kyle Pitts and former Las Vegas Raiders wideout Bryan Edwards.

The Falcons face the Saints Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

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Published Sep 5, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.