Who's Falcons' Most Exciting Offseason Addition?
The Atlanta Falcons had an eventful offseason, headlined by the quarterback carousel that involved trading franchise great Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts.
Another turning point of the offseason came when star receiver Calvin Ridley was suspended for the 2022 season due to gambling. While Ridley had potential to be a trade candidate, his confirmed absence altered some of Atlanta's plans and further illuminated the team's need for a new top receiver.
Enter Drake London.
The former USC Trojan, who was on pace to post historic numbers before a season-ending ankle injury, was the team's first-round draft pick, and is in line to start Week 1 for the Falcons at receiver.
According to Yardbarker, the athletic London was Atlanta's most exciting addition.
"Atlanta didn't make many high-impact additions during the offseason, but London is an exception. The rookie out of USC steps in as the immediate No. 1 wideout in Atlanta, as Calvin Ridley is suspended for the year." - Yardbarker's Seth Trachtman
London 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. London can play inside and outside, a trait that attracted Smith to him in the pre-draft process.
"You see the stuff on the outside in the 2021 season," Smith said on draft night. "Go back to 2020 season and watch him inside and he's hard to bring down as a catch-and-run guy who's also super competitive."
London and tight end Kyle Pitts are poised to form an interchangeable duo, giving Smith plenty of options to put his young weapons in favorable positions. The 20-year-old London 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.
In a modern-day NFL that features pass-happy offenses, receivers are arguably more important than ever. As such, drafting a new top pass-catcher to complement a budding star in Pitts is an exciting prospect for Atlanta's offense moving forward.
