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Falcons Receivers Drake London and Olamide Zaccheaus Reveal Thoughts on QB Battle

How do London and Zaccheaus feel about quarterbacks Marcus Mariota and Desmond Ridder?

When the Atlanta Falcons traded quarterback Matt Ryan to the Indianapolis Colts in March, they didn't waste much time addressing the immediate future of the position, signing veteran Marcus Mariota later that day. A month later, the Falcons selected Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder in the third round of the NFL draft.

Falcons head coach and offensive play caller Arthur Smith has familiarity with Mariota dating back to their time in Tennessee, when Smith was the offensive coordinator in Mariota's final season with the Titans. As such, the eighth-year veteran is likely to get the starting nod, but Ridder has a solid chance to start during his rookie season.

No matter who the signal caller is for Atlanta, they'll be throwing to several young, hungry receivers eager to establish themselves in the NFL. At the top of the board stands tight end Kyle Pitts, with rookie first-round receiver Drake London following closely behind.

When asked what it's like catching passes from Mariota, London revealed that it's something of a childhood dream. "Marcus Mariota is that QB. I mean, catching balls from him is pretty cool," the No. 8 overall pick stated. "I've been watching him since Oregon. It's like a dream come true, playing NCAA (video game) with him and all that."

That being said, London is still high on his fellow 2022 draftee and rookie minicamp roommate. "(Ridder has a) strong arm. Really, really smart. It's really, really cool to play with a guy like his caliber."

Having a 6-4, 219-pound target like London will make both quarterbacks lives' easier. Fortunately for the QBs, London's height is only middle of the pack in Atlanta's receiver room, with the 6-5 Auden Tate and 6-3 Bryan Edwards flanking him. There's also 6-6 tight end Kyle Pitts, who had over 1,000 receiving yards as a rookie.

Another key piece to Atlanta's offense heading into 2022 is receiver Olamide Zaccheaus, whose height (5-8) doesn't measure up to some of the other names in the room but is still expected to play significant snaps. Speaking on Ridder and Mariota, Zaccheaus sees positive things from their character, first and foremost.

“Great competitors,” Zaccheaus told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Very humble guys. I feel like we have things that we have to work out still, but we have to keep working, keep grinding. I think we’ll be all right if we keep doing that.”

While neither quarterback has played a fully representative snap during offseason practice, they've still made positive impressions early. Mariota will enter training camp with a clear advantage in regard to the Week 1 starting job, but both QBs will have a chance to prove they're the right man to lead the franchise moving forward.