Former Falcons Pro-Bowl WR Reacts to Atlanta’s 1st-Round Pick

Julio Jones and Roddy White

Getty One former Falcons Pro-Bowl WR has reacted to Drake London being drafted 8th overall.

Drake London joining the Atlanta Falcons as the eighth-overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft naturally prompted a broad spectrum of reactions. Some loved the selection by a team desperately needing a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver.

Others, however, felt the Falcons had ignored other prominent needs, including on both sides of the trenches. Some doubters also felt London may have been over-drafted ahead of the other marquee prospects in a loaded class at receiver.

One person who doesn’t agree with the naysayers is a former Falcons wideout who went to multiple Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors with the team. This player, who once led the league in receptions, thinks London answers the Falcons’ need for a “WR 1.”

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Ex-Falcons All-Pro Endorses Pick

Choosing London earned praise from an ex-Falcons star who knows a thing or two about playing wide receiver at the pro level. Roddy White quickly declared London a “good pick.”

White ought to know. He spent his entire 11-year career in Atlanta, recording 808 receptions for 10,863 yards and 63 touchdowns. White’s best season came in 2010 when he topped the NFL receiving charts with 115 catches and 1,389 yards.

By the time he hung up his cleats after the 2015 season, White had already been usurped as the Falcons’ go-to target by Julio Jones. The latter became the franchise receiving leader before being traded to the Tennessee Titans last offseason.

Jones has been tough to replace, a situation compounded by the off-the-field developments regarding Calvin Ridley. He played just five games last season before stepping away from football to look after his mental wellbeing.

Ridley was set to return this season, but he incurred an indefinite suspension for violating the league’s gambling policy. It meant the Falcons couldn’t ignore wide receiver in this draft.

London should fill the gap created by Ridley’s absence after becoming the first receiver taken in the top 10 by the Falcons since Jones was drafted sixth overall in 2011. A standout at USC, London grabbed 88 receptions for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns during his final season with the Trojans, per Sports Reference.

Some of the 6’5″, 210-pounder’s best plays showcased his “seam-stretching ability” from the slot, a quality highlighted by ESPN’s Matt Bowen:

London should quickly emerge as the primary wideout in the Falcons’ offense as a rookie, even though not everybody is as convinced as White about the merits of this pick.


Mixed Reactions for London Decision

It’s fair to call the reactions to London’s selection mixed. White isn’t the only former Falcons player who was pleased with the decision to take the receiver off the board early.

The team’s former 1,000-yard running back, Jamal Anderson, lauded London’s toughness and potential partnership with second-year tight end Kyle Pitts:

Physicality is one of the defining traits of London’s game. General manager Terry Fontenot, the man chiefly responsible for making this pick, called London a “physical player,” according to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. Meanwhile, William McFadden of The Falcoholic dubbed London an “excellent blocker.”

Not everybody is singing the same tune, though. The detractors include radio host Nick Kayal of 92.9 The Game, who didn’t “love” the idea of the Falcons going wide receiver and choosing London with their first-round pick:

Kayal’s doubts about whether London should have gone first among the receivers in this class lead to a question the Falcons will likely have to answer for years to come about this pick. Specifically, did they choose the right wideout over Ohio State pair Garret Wilson and Chris Olave or Alabama speedster Jameson Williams? The answer will form part of the defining judgement about this decision, according to Jeff Schultz of The Athletic.

Another radio host, Mike Bell of Dukes and Bell 929, believes London must match a perennial all-pro to justify being chosen ahead of an offensive or defensive lineman:

It’s not an unreasonable argument considering the Falcons notched a league-low 18 sacks last season, while their own quarterbacks were felled 40 times.

Ultimately, though, the Falcons had several needs entering this draft, and finding an elite pass-catcher to replace Ridley and give quarterback Marcus Mariota a target was one of them. Now it’s time for Fontenot and head coach Arthur Smith to hope White’s assessment proves accurate and London lives up to the billing.