Yardbarker
x
Falcons top pick Drake London leaves preseason game with apparent knee injury
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Atlanta Falcons rookie wide receiver Drake London left Friday’s preseason game against the Detroit Lions with a knee injury.

The Falcons announced on Twitter that London, who sustained the injury during the first quarter, would not return to the game.

Luckily for Falcons fans, The Athletic’s Josh Kendall reported that the injury may not be too serious. According to Kendall, team trainers were looking at London’s knee after he snagged his first professional catch. He also said that the 21-year-old was probably not going to play too much longer regardless of the injury.

Here is video of London’s 24-yard catch on a pass from quarterback Marcus Mariota. London caught the ball in stride near the Atlanta 33-yard line, and was eventually tackled out of bounds around the 45-yard line.

London was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft and the first receiver selected.

The Falcons can ill-afford to lose London for a significant amount of time, especially with Calvin Ridley suspended for the season for betting on NFL games.

In 2021, London had 88 receptions for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games for USC. He was named the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. In three college seasons, London had 160 catches for 2,153 yards and 15 touchdowns.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.