Drake London Enters Falcons Record Books and It’s Only the Beginning

The Atlanta Falcons had a pair of homegrown wide receivers break 10,000 in their careers with the team, and Andre Rison went to four-straight Pro Bowls after joining the Falcons his second season in the NFL. 

However, 2022 first-round pick Drake London is off to a faster start than all three.

London has 219 catches in his first three years in the league, besting three of the best to ever suit up for the Falcons. Rison had 215 receptions, including 52 as a rookie in Indianapolis, and Jones and White had 174 and White 142 respectively.

It’s more than just the production that London brings to the offense. After Cordarrelle Patterson departed from Atlanta to join Arthur Smith in Pittsburgh, I spoke of the Falcons’ need for the tough guy character on offense.

Andre Rison was that guy for the Falcons. Roddy White was that guy for the Falcons.

Does the crowd need some juice? White was firing them up. Need to jump-start the offense? Former Falcons head coach Jerry Glanville had the answer, “Get. The. Ball. To Rison,” he said after the 1991 2 Legit 2 Quit season.

Want to get chippy with the Falcons? White was a two-time state champion wrestler in high school, and he brought that mentality and toughness with him to the NFL.

Matt Ryan fondly remembers playing with Roddy White, and when he spoke to the Falcons before his Ring of Honor ceremony, he described what it was like playing with and against White.

“First play of the game (2012 Playoffs vs. Seattle) I see Roddy come screaming out of nowhere, f***ing de-cleat Kam Chancellor & he gets up & starts talking sh** & says ‘Yeah, I’m gonna be here all day motherf*****,” Ryan said around the four minute mark of his speech.

London is that guy for the next generation of Falcons. The rules have changed for wide receivers blocking and de-cleating unsuspecting defenders, but London has already earned a reputation as one of the best-blocking wide receivers in the game. He does some of the dirty work the Falcons expect of a receiving tight end like Kyle Pitts.  

London’s early-career production is even more impressive when considering the quarterback play he’s had to endure.

65% of White’s first-three years in Atlanta were catching passes from Michael Vick, and 100% of Julio’s was from Matt Ryan. London has gone out there with the likes of Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke and a recently benched Kirk Cousins.

That busted bag of equipment wracked London up 219 receptions, 2,690 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns in 45 starts. 

The Falcons plan for the long term is to pair 23-year-old London with 24-year-old first-round draft choice Michael Penix Jr. who gets his first start on Sunday vs. the hapless New York Giants. 

Atlanta is hoping we’ve only seen the beginning from London as he and Penix form a legendary partnership akin to Ryan to Jones.