EX-USC WR Drake London Shares Update From Falcons Mini-Camp
Falcons wideout and former USC star Drake London completed his first professional offseason minicamp on Thursday and will head back to Southern California to continue training before Atlanta's official training camp begins in July.
London has had limited on-field work since his junior season at USC, which was cut short by an ankle injury in October. The 6-foot-4, 210 pound receiver racked up seven touchdowns and nearly 1,100 yards in just eight games on his way to becoming the eighth overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The rookie has made strong impressions over the last few weeks but is still adjusting to the NFL game, a new system and new quarterbacks. “I’m still progressing, obviously. All this is new, but I’m going in the right direction,” London told media after Tuesday’s practice.
London’s game is predicated on his size and strength, so it’s important for his leg to fully recover in order for him to maintain his athleticism to be a downfield threat at the NFL level.
What London has quickly learned is that the NFL is “a game of inches” and that “you have to be on point with everything you do.” Again, there are highs and lows for the rookie, as expected, but he believes he’s already made a ton of improvement and plans to keep grinding through the summer.
“I’m going to be my hardest critic,” London said. “I’ve been that way since I was little. That’s how I’ll always be.”
London’s improvement over the course of his college career points to the receiver’s work ethic and coach-ability. He had more yards in his shortened junior year than he did in his first two seasons at USC combined.
He will look to carry over that momentum to the NFL level in 2022.
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