Drake London 2022 NFL Draft Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6’5″
Weight: 209lb
School: USC Trojans
2022 NFL Draft: Drake London Scouting Report
Born and raised in Moorpark, California, among the bright lights of Los Angeles, USC wideout Drake London has shone brightest, a rising star that is set to be one of the hottest prospects available in this year’s NFL Draft.
Attending Moorpark High School, Drake London was a two-sport athlete, playing both football and basketball. On the football field, London garnered national acclaim for his performances. As a senior, he earned All-American honors, in recognition of a 1089 yard, 12 touchdown season. Following his impressive high school career, London committed to the nearby University of Southern California, recruited to play both football and basketball for the Trojans.
An immediate contributor as a freshman, a rookie London appeared in all 13 games, notching a touchdown in each of the final five games, and earning a place on the PFF Freshman All-American Third Team. As a sophomore, he continued to make strides, despite limitations imposed by the Covid-abridged 2020 season. Still, in just six games, London totaled over 500 yards, and his 33 receptions over that same span became indicative of his growing prominence in the Trojan offense.
Earmarked as one of the nation’s best heading into 2021, London came out hot; he had 1084 yards and seven scores in just eight games. Unfortunately, a broken ankle prematurely ended what was a promising year for the Biletnikoff frontrunner. London declared for the draft in early December and continues to rehab the broken ankle that ended his season. Subsequently, he did not participate in drills at this year’s Combine, instead targeting USC’s Pro Day in late March to showcase his skills.
Strengths
- Exceptional size and length; matchup nightmare;
- Elite leaping ability; competitive at the point of the catch;
- Moves well for a guy his size;
- Understands how to manage speed on routes; good use of throttle to control coverage;
- Physical after catch and good in the open field;
- Understands and uses leverage well;
- Excellent at boxing out coverage;
- Strong hands and good catching technique;
- Sharp at the line of scrimmage.
Weaknesses
- Doesn’t create elite separation; relies on size to win;
- Lacks elite vertical speed;
- Sometimes over-uses hands downfield to shed defenders;
- Lacks elite speed out of routes; cuts not always sharp ;
- Didn’t face elite competition in 2021
Teams With Need At Position: Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, Washington Commanders.
NFL Comparison: Mike Evans
Bottom Line on Drake London
Right now, Drake London is not the most refined wide receiver available in this year’s draft. However, he boasts a physical profile that is perhaps unmatched by any other in this 2022 class of wideouts. His size and length are tools that not only London himself can benefit from, but attributes that can be exploited by NFL coaches to truly unlock what is a notably high potential. He has demonstrated his ability to impose himself on defenders, both throughout routes and at the point of the catch. His hands are strong and secure, his leaping ability unreal, and his time at USC has shown that he can be productive despite the handful of flaws in his game.
An ideal situation for London initially would be a starting role as a ‘Z’ wide receiver, or No.2 receiver, where his size can be situationally exploited as he refines his arsenal and learns how to create separation at the pro level. He is a unique prospect in this year’s draft, and has been projected all over the first round. London is likely to be a mid-first round pick; going in the Top 16 would not be a surprise.
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