Falcons Draft Pick Named Joint-Favorite to be Offensive Rookie of the Year

Not many would be picking a member of this Atlanta Falcons offense to win an end of season award this year. Not when the Falcons have replaced Matt Ryan with Marcus Mariota at quarterback. Not when the team’s most talented wide receiver, Calvin Ridley, is serving an indefinite suspension for violating NFL betting rules.

There’s still talent, though, among a supporting cast the Falcons added to during the 2022 NFL draft. In fact, general manager Terry Fontenot selected a prospect one prominent website is already tipping to be named Offensive Rookie of the Year.

This player has to share his favorite status with the lone quarterback taken in the opening round. Yet, the newbie on the Falcons’ roster may have a better chance, with a writer tipping him for triple digits in a key statistical category.

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Kenny Pickett and Falcons Rookie Picked by Oddsmakers

The Pittsburgh Steelers used the 20th-overall pick to take Kenny Pickett off the board. He has an excellent chance to beat Mitchell Trubisky to the job of replacing Ben Roethlisberger.

It’s one reason why The Athletic believes Pickett has the best odds to win offensive rookie of the year. Pickett doesn’t have the field all to himself, though, not when the same source named new Falcons wide receiver Drake London joint favorite at 13-2.

London’s odds are even more favorable with Ben Fawkes and DraftKings Sportsbook:

London came off the board as the eighth player taken in the first round. His selection started a run at receiver, arguably the deepest position in this year’s draft class.

Going first, ahead of more highly touted prospects such as Garrett Wilson and Jameson Williams, will increase the pressure on London to deliver above expectations as a rookie.

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London Has Tools to Prove Value

As Jeff Schultz of The Athletic put it, the Falcons “will be judged” on whether they picked the right receiver ahead of Wilson and Williams. London will also be judged on these terms, as the first receiver taken:

Fortunately, London has the tools to deliver on expectations and exceed some of the receivers who garnered more fanfare in the pre-draft process. His chief attribute is size, a 6’5″, 210-pound frame that can dominate in one-on-one matchups and win in short spaces.

Those are among the reasons why Around The NFL’s Gregg Rosenthal believes “no one has a clearer path to 100 targets.” He pointed out how Falcons’ head coach “Arthur Smith knows how to maximize big receivers,” an obvious reference to how 6’1″, 226-pounder A.J. Brown posted back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons when Smith was offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans in 2019-20.

Rosenthal also talked up London’s ability to win from the slot for the Falcons. Putting London inside will draw coverage away from dynamic, second-year tight end Kyle Pitts. Lining up both players on the same side of the formation will pose a matchup nightmare for defenses.

A partnership between Pitts and London is something Rosenthal believes will be to the Falcons’ advantage against zone coverage:

It’s not just Pitts who will allow London to see plenty of single coverage. There’s also the presence of Cordarrelle Patterson, who caught 52 passes for 548 yards and five touchdowns last season, despite spending most of his time at running back.

Patterson could play receiver more this year after the Falcons signed running back Damien Williams in free agency. The team also drafted BYU’s Tyler Allgeier in the fifth round.

If Patterson and Pitts split out often, London should feast from the slot, where his ability to make contested catches will be showcased:

Sure hands and strength helped London make 88 receptions for 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns during his final season at USC, per Sports Reference. Similar numbers would surely put London firmly in the running to be named OROY.

He’s with the right team, the right coach and among the right supporting cast to replicate his best college production.

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