2022 NFL Draft: Inside The Rise Of USC WR Drake London
USC WR Drake London has had a massive 2021 campaign, and has certainly seen his stock rise for the 2022 NFL Draft.
Summer evaluations are always interesting. They’re a great tool to get comfortable with where the next draft class is at heading into the college football season. It gives a great baseline of traits that players have and where improvements can be made. There are always some players who don’t reach the potential that evaluators see, while others burst onto the scene and improve massively throughout the season. One of those players for the 2022 NFL Draft that has elevated his game is USC Trojans wide receiver Drake London.
As a freshman and sophomore, London operated mostly out of the slot, as he was buried a bit on the depth chart behind the likes of Michael Pittman Jr., Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Tyler Vaughns. He was productive as a third option, passing the 500-yard mark in both 2019 and 2020.
Since London had so many reps in the slot, the question marks were there as he was set to become the number one option in 2021. He hadn’t shown much in terms of a route tree, and really didn’t use his size to create separation other than at the catch point. The trait that he hung his hat on that translates the best is his skills after the catch. His field vision was impressive from summer viewings and he obviously had the size, contact balance, and toughness to break tackles after the catch to pick up extra yardage.
It was tough to see what all the hullabaloo was about in the summer, but 2021 Drake London is a different Drake London. Through just seven games, London has already passes the 1,000-yard mark, racked up 79 catches, and scored five times. He’s the focal point of the passing offense right now. USC’s opponents know this is the case, and that the ball is going to go to him at a high rate, but they still can’t stop him.
His fluidity looks impressive this season, and while it was evident on previous tape, seeing him use that to his advantage as a route runner is something new. London had a great double move against Notre Dame where he looked efficient through those breaks while stayed balanced and explosive. He’s still dominating at the catch point at an otherworldly clip.
The size/YAC combo has sometimes bitten analysts and scouts (*stares in N’Keal Harry*) but London is different for this one reason. Harry believed he could win solely at the catch point, while London is beginning to master how to use his hands to give himself that extra bit of separation. Whether it’s winning at the line, at the top of his stem, or to get a stride ahead vertically, London is unlocking more separation in his game than he has before.
If Drake London can consistently show his ability to win pre-catch, at the catch point, and post-catch down the stretch, there’s so reason, with his size and athleticism, that he can’t challenge for the top receiver spot in the 2022 NFL Draft. He’s going to be a must-watch the rest of the season.