Falcons WR Drake London: Most Impactful Rookie?

Top 10 picks often come with high expectations, and London is no different.

When tight end Kyle Pitts was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, he was added to an offense featuring receivers Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage and quarterback Matt Ryan.

Less than a year later, Pitts will enter his second professional season with none of the above still on the team, other than the suspended Ridley. With the team in need of playmakers to surround Pitts, adding weapons quickly became a top offseason priority.

Enter USC receiver Drake London.

Atlanta used the No. 8 overall selection on the 6-4, 219-pounder earlier this offseason and will need him to play up to the standard of being a top 10 pick for the offense to take a step forward. If outside expectations are any indication, the 20-year-old will do just that.

London has been tapped to have the biggest immediate impact among all rookies, according to The Athletic

Falcons receiver Drake London gets my vote because of his talent and the opportunity in Atlanta. Marcus Mariota is a bridge quarterback, but beyond tight end Kyle Pitts, Atlanta’s pass-catching depth chart is uninspiring, which should help give London the most targets among all rookie receivers. - The Athletic's Dane Brugler

London, viewed as an immediate starter from the second he was drafted, is likely to play the role of "X" receiver in Atlanta's offense, but head coach Arthur Smith often moves his weapons around in order to maximize matchups.

Atlanta has now given Pitts a running mate, with the 6-6, 246-pound tight end poised to form an interchangeable duo with London, giving Smith plenty of options to put his young weapons in favorable positions. The former USC star has already dubbed himself and Pitts as "twin towers."

London will be featured early and often in Atlanta, as his catch radius and ball skills enable him to beat defenders without much separation needed, and his physicality after the catch will create additional yardage.

The game plan and targets are expected to be there for London. Now, it's up to the Falcons' top pick to capitalize on the opportunity, asserting himself as the league's most impactful first-year star.