Why Drake London’s Role Is More Crucial Than Ever for Atlanta Falcons

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga – With training camp in full swing, the Atlanta Falcons' wide receiver room is under the spotlight, not just because of the talent at the top, but because of the injuries testing its depth early on. 

Injuries are an unfortunate part of the deal in the NFL, and wide receiver Darnell Mooney has been no stranger to that agreement as a Falcon. Head coach Raheem Morris was a bit vague on Tuesday about any potential returns for Mooney, but said he could be back in “a few weeks.”

As a result, the receiver room has been challenged to back-fill the position. 

The team was in a similar position last summer when Rondale Moore went down with an injury, albeit under different circumstances, and the room will look to replicate that depth this year. DJ Chark was added to the room to complement players like Ray-Ray McCloud, Chris Blair, and KhaDarel Hodge. 

“That gives opportunity for those guys,” head coach Raheem Morris said about players stepping into Mooney’s role. “It's hard to replace your starting X, your Mooney, but we’ve got people in place that are clone-like to be able to go in there and do some of those things for us that we're going to need to get done.”

The battle for reps is ongoing, but with all of this going on, the Falcons have been fortunate to have a steady leader in the room like Drake London. At 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, London has elite size that the offense can lean on in the red zone, but his personality lends itself to the run game. 

“When you look at what Drake means to this offense, both in the run and pass game, I think it really should be appreciated by all,” said wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard. “What he does on the perimeter to help our runners, there are not many guys in our league who can do that. I think he’s special in that way. He doesn’t care if it’s a defensive end or backer. We’re glad he’s on our team.” 

His versatility, in particular, has been critical to the overall success of the offense. 

According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, London was targeted on 34.9 percent of his routes run from the slot last season, the highest rate among receivers with at least 150 slot routes run. In total, he gained 555 yards on 45 receptions from the slot, the sixth most in the NFL.  

“Obviously, there are different types of sizes and skill sets and all those things. But with Drake, he can be such a focal point in terms of inserting in run game, slot receiver, out wide, play above the rim, all those different things that need his competitive nature,” assistant general manager Kyle Smith explained on Saturday. “He can be a dirty work guy, which obviously, as you're building a team, building an offense, it's not always easy, and guys like Drake can make the dirty pretty easy at times. So, that was really it. It was more about Drake than it was anybody else.”

Smith likened London to a “chess piece” that can moved around on the board. Whether he is playing inside or outside, London has shown that he is fully capable of exploiting whichever matchup is in front of him on any given play. 

That versatility allows offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to mix and match to find the most advantageous way to attack an opposing defense. 

Those matchups will evolve throughout any given game, but the Falcons’ top pass catcher being an every down player changes what the offense can do on a down-to-down basis.

“He’s a complete player,” said quarterback Kirk Cousins. “We don’t have to hide him [when the Falcons run the football].” 

While his full acumen was put on display last season, when he finished with a career-best 1,271 yards and nine touchdowns, he found a new gear with Michael Penix Jr. under center. 

Over those final three games in 2024, London caught 22 passes for 352 yards, and two touchdowns. If one were to spread that level of production out over a full season, that would equate to 125 catches and 11 touchdowns, but also an NFL-record 1,995 yards. 

While it would certainly be ambitious to have those sort of expectations for the Falcons former eighth overall pick entering his contract year, the potential connection between the two players is enough to get any fan excited. 

“That's somebody that's gonna make plays down the field but also make plays for his teammates,” Penix Jr. said. 

If London’s end-of-season chemistry with Penix Jr. is any indication, the Falcons might have the makings of a high-powered connection. As camp continues, the focus won’t just be on who steps up with Mooney on the shelf, it’ll be on how London continues to elevate everything around him.

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