Falcons' Confidence 'Much Different' Than Last Year, Says Drake London
Tom Brady is out of the NFC South, and vibes are high for the Atlanta Falcons as they attempt to compete in the seemingly wide-open division.
Among those expected to take a big step forward is second-year wide receiver Drake London. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, London had 72 catches for 866 yards in his rookie season, despite playing in an offense that was overwhelmingly run-first with quarterback Marcus Mariota under center for the first three months of the season.
Gone is Mariota, and Desmond Ridder -- who started the final four games of the 2022 season -- will get a chance to emerge as the long-term quarterback in Atlanta. It's also the second year for running back Tyler Allgeier, who rushed for 1,035 yards in his rookie season. So naturally, London says there's more of a comfort level and culture emerging this summer for the Falcons.
"As of right now, I think you can say that the confidence and hype in the locker room is much different than what it was last year," London said via ESPN.
Whether Ridder emerges as the franchise quarterback in head coach Arthur Smith's offense will be the No. 1 long-term storyline pertaining to the Falcons this year. However, there's enough young talent on the Falcons roster for them to be a competitive team even if Ridder is just an effective game manager.
In addition to London and Allgeier, immensely-talented tight end Kyle Pitts is entering his third NFL season. The former No. 4 overall pick was limited to 10 games in his second season, but he had 68 receptions for 1,026 yards in his rookie season. If Ridder proves to be an improvement over Mariota, Pitts should take a major step forward in 2023.
And remember, Smith reached the AFC Championship Game as the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans behind a legendary playoff run from running back Derrick Henry. In addition to Allgeier, Smith will now have No. 8 overall pick Bijan Robinson -- considered the best running back prospect since Saquon Barkley in 2018 -- at his disposal. When you factor in Swiss Army knife Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta could have a dominant rushing attack in 2023, which Smith has had success with previously.
So it's natural for London and the Falcons to be entering 2023 with quite a bit of confidence. Competing for the NFC South title is a very realistic goal this season.
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