Best Scheme Fit: Initially
as a big-bodied red zone target and chain-moving possession receiver.
He has eventual alpha upside if he can improve his speed a bit.
Best Team Fit(s): Bears, Browns, Colts, Commanders,
Eagles, Falcons, Giants, Jets, Packers, Saints
Non-bolded times - Good examples of attribute Bolded times - Average/poor examples of attribute
Pre-Draft Fantasy Prospect
Grade* (out of 50): 41.5
* - How well does his skill set carry over
to the fantasy game? For receivers, a player needs to be a realistic
threat for 70 catches and 1,000 receiving yards at some point
early in their career to be a candidate for a perfect grade. Positional
scarcity at the pro level is also a part of the equation.
Positives
London knows what his biggest strengths are and takes advantage
of them regularly. He is a former prodigious high school basketball
player who often maximizes his 6-4 frame in contested-catch situations.
(He ranked first in FBS with 19 such receptions in 2021, per Pro
Football Focus.) He is more than just a tall 50/50 downfield guy,
however. The Trojans regularly used him on screens because he can
shake defenders in space and seems to embrace contact when the situation
calls for it - a combination that allows him to excel after the
catch. To that end, he ranked inside the top 15 receivers in screen
catches (27, 14th) and screen yards (185, 15th) in 2021, per Pro
Football Focus. London also often shows off his basketball background
by exhibiting excellent body control on sideline throws and understanding
how to cut off a defender's angle to the ball while it is still
in the air. Three other traits that figure to endear him to any
coaching staff: his willingness to block, the awareness he shows
when his quarterback is in trouble and his versatility (slot and
perimeter). There is also more room for growth in London's game;
he is the youngest receiver prospect in this draft class and will
not turn 21 until the training camp rolls around.
Negatives
Two issues continually showed up on London's 2021 film: drops
and lack of separation. Pro Football Focus charted London with eight
drops on 96 catchable targets. It is a startling number for a player
that does such a good job in contested-catch situations. The lack
of separation is more of a multilayered problem. His 6-4 frame makes
it hard for him to sink his hips at the top of his route, but the
bigger problem is that even college corners do not seem overly threatened
by his speed. While London can overcome that by outmuscling cornerbacks
downfield, he may have a problem turning big plays into touchdowns
unless those same targets are coming in the end zone. London also
struggles to separate on the short stuff, forcing him to be as reliant
on his size on a slant as he is on a go route. He suffered a season-ending
broken ankle in late October and did not feel comfortable enough
to participate in the NFL Combine despite telling the media in Indianapolis
that his ankle was "doing great." (He held a pro day on
April 15 to participate in a handful of cone drills and situational
passing routes with several NFL scouts on hand but opted not to
run.
Bottom Line
While it is easy to see why some compare him to Mike Evans, London
is not as big (230-ish pounds), does not appear to be as fast (4.53
speed at the 2014 combine) and lacks the same ability to separate
down the field. The same can theoretically be said about Michael Thomas, who is probably the best comp (from an athletic testing
perspective) of all the pro prospects mentioned on this page, but
the difference is the Saints' standout is much more refined as a
route-runner. Can the Moorpark High School product get there someday?
Perhaps, but he may not need to (or be given much of a chance to
prove he can be a force in the short and intermediate passing game).
London profiles as a dominant contested-catch wideout who should
be his team's primary target in the red zone. That profile is not
one that typically lends itself to a player who eventually becomes
his team's alpha receiver and more of a volatile Kenny Golladay-like
receiver who is dependent on touchdown efficiency. Can London eventually
become his team's go-to guy? He certainly has the size, football
IQ and competitive nature. Whether he does will likely depend on
if his new quarterback is as comfortable throwing into tight windows
as Matthew Stafford was with Golladay or Drew Brees was with Thomas
(as opposed to Justin Fields with Allen Robinson last year).
--- Predict
the top ten picks of the NFL Draft for a chance to win FFToday prizes.
Enter our NFL Draft Contest
now. Doug Orth has written for FF Today since 2006 and been featured
in USA TODAY's Fantasy Football Preview magazine since 2010. He
is also a high-stakes player who often appears as a guest analyst
on a number of national sports radio shows, such as Sirius XM’s
“Fantasy Drive." Doug is also a member of the Fantasy
Sports Writers Association.
Predict
the top ten picks of the NFL Draft for a chance to win FFToday prizes.
