Paul Sancya/Associated Press
If you’re in the market for a wide receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft, you’re in luck. This year’s class is as deep as it is talented. And while there are those who prefer Treylon Burks of Arkansas or Garrett Wilson of Ohio State as the No. 1 prospect at the position, in the opinion of some draftniks, the best pass-catcher of the class is Drake London of USC (B/R Scouting Report).
But after fracturing his ankle last year, the 6’4″, 219-pounder skipped workouts at the combine. That left a lot of scouts eager to see London run the 40-yard-dash at his personal pro day a few days ago in order to alleviate concerns about his speed and ability to separate at the NFL level.
However, London elected not to run, leaving those speed concerns looming over him and ratcheting up the risk for NFL teams considering spending their first pick on him.
According to Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times, London downplayed his decision to skip athletic testing once again after he tweaked his hamstring while working out ahead of USC’s pro day last month.
“You know, everybody has six, eight weeks, a couple months to really train for that, whether it’s broad jump, vertical, all of that,” London said. “I was just trying to get back running at the end of the day. The tape is out there. You’ve seen it.”
There is indeed plenty of tape of London using his big frame to high-point passes and out-muscle defenders. He hauled in 88 passes for 1,084 yards and seven scores last season in just eight games before injuring his ankle last October.
And to be sure, London has his supporters. They include Bleacher Report’s scouting department, which slotted London as not only the top wide receiver but also the No. 3 prospect in the entire draft.
“London has more to his game than you’d initially think given his size,” Nate Tice wrote. “He is able to run a varied route tree that asks him to throttle down, which is even more impressive given his large frame. …Overall, London’s size, athleticism and route-running ability project him as a valid Day 1 X WR for NFL teams with true mismatch potential every week of the season. And he has enough polish and nuance to his game to be asked to line up across the formation given the play call that only adds to his All-Pro potential.”
Drae Harris of the Draft Network also talked up London’s size, physicality and route running.
Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
“He is an excellent athlete with regards to jumping ability, body control, and agility for a big receiver. In the run game, he has the potential to be a dominant run blocker due to his toughness, length, and competitive spirit. He is surprisingly very good as a runner after the catch. In the passing game, he is excellent. He has outstanding body control and agility as a route-runner and uses his bigger frame to “big boy” smaller defenders. He is excellent in contested-catch situations and uses his strong hands to secure the football in traffic.”
Frankly, you’d be hard-pressed to find a scout who disagrees with those assessments. London is big, physical and sure-handed, and his route tree is relatively refined.
London is talented, to be sure.
But is he fast enough to consistently separate from defenders at the professional level?
It’s a concern that has been voiced by multiple pundits, including Oliver Hodgkinson of Pro Football Network.
“For all his athletic gifts,” he wrote, “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 separate downfield based on speed alone.”
Draft Wire’s Natalie Miller also expressed worries that London’s long speed (or lack of it) could hinder him at the next level.
“While London’s deep-ball play is excellent, there will always be some concern about a receiver that lacks the ability to create consistent separation. That can lead to defenders squatting on routes in anticipation, and basing part of a game plan on his ability to win those contested catches constantly against elite defenders. Some teams will shy away from that. His quickness is not noteworthy either, instead having to use his body as a shield on shorter routes rather than burning past defenders.”
Paul Sancya/Associated Press
Had London run even an OK 40 time, most scouts would likely have smiled, written “fast enough” in their notepad, and that would have been that. But by not running, London may have created a flicker of worry. Raised a specter of doubt. Brought back a ghost
The ghost of Laquon Treadwell.
In 2016, many of the same superlatives attached to London were affixed to Treadwell. He posted an 82/1,153/11 line in his last year at Ole Miss facing some of the nation’s top defenses. Scouts lauded his size and physicality and his natural feel for the game. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Treadwell to DeAndre Hopkins. Per the Vikings’ website, Pete Prisco of CBS Sports called Treadwell the “next Dez Bryant.”
Treadwell actually did run at his pro day, but even a wildly disappointing 4.63-second 40 didn’t stop then-NFL Network Analyst Mike Mayock from lauding Minnesota’s decision to draft Treadwell 23rd overall.
“We all know he ran a 4.65 40 at his pro day. So, either you believe in him and his game, or you don’t. He’s a natural hands catcher and will win 50-50 balls. He’s also one of the best blocking wide receivers in this draft. He’s physical, tough and has great hands. I think the Vikings got a winner.”
What the Vikings got was a player who just wasn’t fast enough to play wide receiver at the game’s highest level. In four years with the team. Treadwell never caught more than 35 passes. His season high in yardage in Minnesota was 302. He scored all of two touchdowns.
Now, London deciding not to run a 40-yard-dash doesn’t doom him to Treadwell’s fate any more than John Ross peeling off a 4.22-second 40 in 2017 guaranteed his success in the pros.
It didn’t even a little. Being fast isn’t all that helpful if you can’t catch.
John McCoy/Associated Press
London checks just about every other box, whether it’s size, hands, physicality or route refinement. He would appear to have all the tools to be a good wide receiver.
But NFL teams drafting in the first round aren’t looking for good. They are looking for great. The biggest question mark regarding London’s ability to be great was his straight-line speed. That question now looms larger than ever.
This may all be much ado about nothing, but as badly as NFL teams want to hit on their first pick, they even more desperately want to avoid whiffing on it. Risk is a four-letter word to general managers in more ways than one.
And in electing to leave the speed question unanswered, Drake London has become a riskier pick than Wilson, Burks, Chris Olave and Jameson Williams, the latter of whom showed ridiculous acceleration and athleticism last year before tearing his ACL.
Is it possible that London will emerge as the best receiver from the Class of 2022? Yes.
But less than two weeks from the big day, he has emerged as the riskiest of the high-end options.
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