2022 Draft Profile: USC WR Drake London is a Next-Generation Slot Monster
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Measurables:
Height: 6'5" (1.95m)
Weight: 210 (95.25kg)
Age: 20 years
Prospect Breakdown:
Hands: 7.5/10 - Has the ability to come down with tough contested catches and is overall a safe target. However, he did struggle with focus drops at points.
Contact Balance/Elusiveness: 10/10 - London's best work came after the catch. He knows how to follow his blockers and has an uncanny ability to "bounce" off defenders.
Route Footwork Efficiency: 7.5/10 - London's overall route work isn't bad by any means but still feels a bit cumbersome, perhaps due to his large frame. However, he runs a whole route tree.
Short Routes: 8/10 - Though he has a tendency to round off some of his quicker routes, his ability to sit down at the sticks and quickly find space will translate to the next level.
Medium Routes: 8/10 - Like his short-yardage ability, London's medium-yardage route running is generally precise and gets some separation.
Deep Routes: 8.5/10 - Especially as a slot receiver, London's ability to stretch the field vertically is great.
Quickness: 6.5/10 - The biggest knock on London's game is easily his lack of quickness. However, what he lacks in quickness he makes up for with size and physicality.
Long Speed: 7.5/10 - London also doesn't have great long speed on film. While this didn't seem to hamper him from making deep plays, this could be more of an issue at the next level.
Zone IQ: 9.5/10 - London consistently demonstrated that he had a feel for finding the soft spot in zones.
Release: 8/10 - While definitely clunky at points, London has a physical release that can see him winning off the line regularly.
50/50 Ball: 8/10 - London is a former basketball player, and his ability to win contested catches using his frame clearly demonstrates this.
Big Play Factor: 9.5/10 - At points during the season, London would enter "take-over" mode. USC would be more than happy to keep force-feeding London, who would consistently take screens and short routes for double-digit yardage.
MavenGrade: 84.52/100 (Round 1 Projection)
Fit with the Patriots
Drake London can be everything that the New England Patriots thought N'Keal Harry could be... except with more versatility.
As it stands, the Patriots just don't have a reliable big-bodied traditional X receiver that can run downfield routes, get consistent separation, and make catches (whether contested or wide open). London's USC film shows that he is more than capable of all those things. While London definitely didn't have eye-popping speed, he was still consistently able to create his own separation at the top of routes -- and what he lacked in speed he more than made up for with his monster frame, safe hands, and ability to run after the catch.
However, London would offer more to New England's offense than just an outside receiver. Seeing his ability to get vertical separation from the slot makes me believe that London could fit into a unique role perfect for a young quarterback like Mac Jones. I think London could best be used as a larger slot receiver, similar to how the Kansas City Chiefs will generally use Travis Kelce. London is too quick for cover linebackers to handle and is too strong for most nickel corners (or even outside corners) as well. Having a receiver with a large catch radius, dependable ball skills, and the ability to find space over the middle of the field is a rare combination -- and one that will help a QB like Jones, who thrives when being able to get chunk yardage down the middle of the field.
As a whole, London can offer either a solution outside, or an improvement inside for the Patriots' receiver room. Either way, he offers a strong fit for New England's offense (assuming it will be run similarly to Josh McDaniels' offense), and is a prospect Patriots fans should be excited about.
