|
|
Drake London NFL Draft Profile
|
Drake London Scouting ReportLondon can use his significant size, combined with impressively long arms, to pluck the ball out of the air. He’s displayed the ability to go up and secure the ball in contested-catch situations with ease. This is best demonstrated with his touchdown grab in double coverage against Arizona State. London’s catchability is exceptional. In addition to the example mentioned above, he excels securing the ball in traffic over the middle field while maintaining possession through contact. This is just one part of the physical nature of his play. London also shows this physicality as a willing and able blocker in the run game. Additionally, he is challenging to bring down in the open field, exhibiting competitive toughness to carry multiple players on his back. London was lauded for his athletic ability in high school, and this is one of the more surprising elements of his game. He flashes an unexpected change-of-direction ability for someone so tall. London has quick feet enabling excellent lateral agility, making cuts with ease and often leaving defenders clutching at air. Finally, the USC WR presents an incredible understanding of the game. London possesses an insane ability to find gaps in coverage, allowing him to create space. When the play breaks down, he puts himself in a position for the quarterback to locate him. |
Areas for ImprovementAs mentioned in the opening section of London’s scouting report, his size does come with drawbacks. He plays with a high pad level, which doesn’t cause massive problems currently but could as he transitions to the NFL. One reason that doesn’t cause too much of an issue right now is his usage at USC. London plays predominantly out of the slot for the Trojans. In the games studied, he lined up exclusively as a slot receiver, never out wide. As a result, he hasn’t had much exposure to press coverage during his career. A high pad level will expose his chest in press coverage, impacting his route-running ability. For all his athletic gifts, the USC WR isn’t blessed with long speed. London does his best work on short and intermediate routes, using his after-catch ability and physicality to add extra yards. He won’t win many battles going toe-to-toe with cornerbacks in a foot race down the field.
|
Drake London Career at Southern CaliforniaDespite arriving into a locker room full of future NFL wide receivers, London made his presence felt as a true freshman. In early September, he secured his first receptions, taking 3 catches for 62 yards against Stanford. However, he wouldn’t emerge as a dangerous receiving threat until later in the season. London notched a touchdown in each of the final five games of the 2019 season. Amongst those scores were two exceptional performances that showcased how he could dominate a game. The USC WR was named the Pac-12 Freshman Player of the Week after securing 111 yards and a touchdown on just 6 receptions. He finished the regular season in style, turning 8 catches into a career-high 142 yards and a score against UCLA. In just six games in 2020, London tallied 502 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns, averaging 15.2 yards per catch. Although Amon-Ra St. Brown led the team in receptions and touchdowns, London led all USC pass catchers in receiving yards. With St. Brown’s departure to the NFL, London will lead the USC WR room in the upcoming college football season. Can London become the first USC receiver since Nelson Agholor to be selected in the first round of the NFL Draft? At present, it feels more likely that he joins Michael Pittman Jr. and JuJu Smith-Schuster as second-round prospects from the program. Still, if he continues to develop specific areas of his game, London owns the athletic attributes to challenge the first round next April. |
Drake London NFL Draft Player ProfileNatural catcher of the ball. Tough runner after the catch and runs with an edge to him. Possesses good body control and a large catch radius to haul in passes in his relative area. Excellent concentration in traffic and over the middle of the field to keep his eye on the ball throughout the catch process. He is aware of where the space is in the defense to attack the holes. Sudden footwork at the top of his routes to keep defenders a step or two off of him. Can operate at all levels of the field. Great sideline awareness to understand where is on the field at all times, secure the catch and get his feet in bounds consistently. Slippery with the ball in his hands. Very smooth and technical in his process to create separation in that way. He displays great effort and willpower to put his body on the line in order to make some catches. Has the experience lining up in the slot and out wide. Effort and willingness are there when blocking.
|
 |