Falcons WR Drake London Evaluates Rookie Year: 'Lot Left on the Table'

Drake London had a record-breaking rookie season for the Atlanta Falcons. But there's more to come from last year's No. 8 overall pick.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 20, 2023

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Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London had a record-breaking year in his rookie season.

He recorded a rookie record 72 receptions for 866 yards, leading the team, and he cemented his status as one of the top receivers in the draft class. However, London isn't jumping up and down with glowing reviews of his season.

"There's a lot that's left on the table, personally, for me. That I think that I can do better, a lot of learning curves, learning moments that I've had that I can grow from," London said in an interview with ESPN. "So I wouldn't sit up here and tell you, 'Oh, this is amazing, this is exactly what I wanted, the year that I wanted.' But at the same time, I'm not going to tell you that I had a terrible year. You know what I'm saying.

"With that being said, I took it as decent. I'm doing my job. I'm doing it somewhat well for my circumstances, and all I can do is go forward from there and just keep progressing."

London was the first receiver taken in last year's draft with the No. 8 overall pick, but fellow rookies Garrett Wilson (No. 10) and Chris Olave (No. 11) had better seasons on the stat sheet.

Given the fact that London was playing with Marcus Mariota for most of the season and third-round rookie Desmond Ridder to close the year, the former USC Trojan had some challenges to get to where he got. However, he still posted a very respectable start to his NFL career.

And if there's more on the table for 2023 and beyond, the Falcons should have their unquestioned top receiver for years to come.

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Published Feb 20, 2023

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.