The Atlanta Falcons didn’t enter the 2022 NFL draft simply needing to replace talent on offense. It’s true the skill positions looked weaker following Matt Ryan being traded to the Indianapolis Colts and Calvin Ridley incurring an indefinite suspension for violating league betting policies.
Yet, identifying new recruits was as much about finding the right scheme fits for head coach Arthur Smith’s offense. Smith is entering his second year as the team’s head coach, the time when a schematic blueprint becomes easier to recognize.
For Smith, that means big-bodied pass-catchers, play-action throws and outside-zone running. Fortunately, the Falcons’ top draft pick fits the requirements for each of those staples of the playbook, according to one film analyst.
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‘True X’ Landed in Ideal Draft Spot
The Falcons have a “fun group of skill players” after adding wide receiver Drake London to hybrid weapon Cordarrelle Patterson and tight end Kyle Pitts. That’s according to Ted Nguyen of The Athletic, who calls London a “true X receiver” able to “beat press, win deep and make contested catches.”
A good definition of the X receiver in today’s NFL offenses came from Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski in 2019: “The X-receiver, or split end, lines up opposite the tight end in most cases, at the line of scrimmage and furthest away from the ball.”
On the basis of this definition, London will spend most of his rookie season split out wide on the side away from Pitts. Such a formation would give the Falcons a pair of towering targets, 6’6″ Pitts and 6’4″ London, to unleash against physically overmatched defensive backs.
That’s an obvious advantage for Smith, whom Nguyen believes can call the same scheme he ran as offensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans in 2019 and ’20: “A big component of Arthur Smith’s offense is taking shots off of hard play-action fakes. Although London isn’t a burner, he was able to win deep with his physicality running through defensive backs and beating them at the catch point. A.J. Brown won in a similar fashion for Smith.”
Winning at the catch point is something London did for fun during his time at USC. No receiver in the Power Five snared more contested grabs, per PFF College:
Drake London: 23 contested catches in the last two seasons (1st in P5)
Making jump balls a happy habit can be something of a two-edged sword for young receivers. It sounds a note of caution that a player who has to take to the air and find the ball among a sea of hands so often, is unable to separate earlier in his routes.
While some may have that perception of London, Sobleski pointed out how the 20-year-old was often sold short by his quarterbacks and forced to go aerial to reel in errant throws:
Great example of Drake London putting the DB in a blender with a great route and “not creating separation” only to become a jump ball because QB’s throw was late.
Of course, the same issue could follow London into the pros. He is, after all, set to catch passes for the Falcons either from Marcus Mariota or fellow rookie Desmond Ridder.
Mariota lost his starting job with the Titans on Smith’s watch in 2019 and has spent the last two seasons as a backup for the Las Vegas Raiders. Ridder, meanwhile, is a third-round pick, often criticized for a lack of accuracy.
Perhaps London’s big frame makes things easier for Mariota and Ridder. Or maybe the rough edges of their respective mechanics mean it will be tough for London to make an immediate impact.
The latter is something Mike Kaye of the Pro Football Network has cautioned against: “Mariota isn’t a complete disaster, but he obviously isn’t the top choice for a young wideout to develop with. London received a lot of flak for his speed (or lack thereof) during the draft process, and Mariota will need to be extremely accurate to take advantage of the first-round pick’s strengths.”
A rebuttal to this argument is how effective London should be whenever he moves into the slot. He took the majority of his snaps from an inside alignment with the Trojans, and a receiver of London’s size ought to win early in his routes when working between the numbers.
Using in-breaking patterns for London, while Pitts and Patterson draw focus on the outside, should give Mariota some quick and easy throws. Especially off of play action.
The latter ploy will only work if the Falcons are effective running the ball. It’s an area where London’s hidden value can make a positive difference.
Blocking a Vital Trait in London/Falcons Fit
A prolific and punishing ground game was a staple of Smith’s offense in Tennessee, where he had Derrick Henry to batter defenses. The Falcons don’t have a workhorse back with the same talent and physicality as Henry, but 227-pound Patterson was effective enough last season to lead the team with 610 yards and 153 carries.
Patterson will be joined by free-agent signing Damien Williams and fifth-round pick Tyler Allgeier. They should all benefit from what London can do as a blocker.
Nguyen sees a similarity between how 219-pounder London will be used and the role Corey Davis played for Smith: “Playing inside in Smith’s scheme means he’ll be asked to actually get involved in blocking in the run game — not just stalk blocking outside but he’ll get used as an insert blocker on strong safeties and linebackers. Corey Davis was great in this role for Smith in Tennessee. Though London isn’t an overwhelming blocker, he’s an effective and willing one. USC got him involved in the run game as an inline blocker in some creative ways and he handled that role well. His ability to block in the box will be indispensable in the Falcons’ outside zone and duo schemes.”
There’s an obvious parallel between a receiver of London’s size and how Smith deployed 6’3″, 209-pound Davis. It also helps London isn’t the only bulky wideout on the roster, not when the Falcons signed 6’5″, 228-pound Auden Tate during free agency.
As Nguyen outlined, there are several ways London fits what Smith likes to do on offense. The symmetry between the player’s style and what is in the Falcons’ playbook explains why general manager Terry Fontenot made London the eighth-overall pick and the first receiver drafted from a loaded class at the position.
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Analyst Explains Scheme Fit for Key Falcons Draft Pick