Drake London Scouting Report

Drake London Scouting Report: Drake London NFL Draft Prospect Report

Wide Receiver, USC Trojans, #15

Drake London Measurements

6’5″ / 210 lbs

Drake London Draft Player Profile

Drake London played high school football and basketball for his alma mater Moorpark High. He was a star on the field and the hardwood for the Musketeers. His on court accolades along with his grades earned him ALL-CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) division 4 honors.

Drake London

Although he excelled on the court, he has obviously excelled more on the field ever since. As a junior in high school he had over 1,000 yards and 11 TD’s. He followed that up with another 1,000 plus yards and 12 TD’s as a senior. He earned a four star ranking from Rivals and was their 36^th ranked WR in the 2019 class.

He chose to stay home in California and play both sports for the USC Trojans. He has been a solid contributor his first two seasons. In the covid shortened 2020 campaign, he had 33 receptions for 502 yards and 3 TD’s. He was also named to the All PAC-12 second team. Entering 2021 Trojans fans have high hopes he can continue to improve and take over the number one receiver position vacated by Amon-Ra St.Brown.

Drake London Weaknesses

This may come as a bit of a surprise, but I was bullish on London in my way too early mock draft. I had him going 27^th to the Detroit Lions. After diving further into London I’m backing up a bit.

Route Running

What can I say? Hmm…. well Drake needs to learn how to run routes. If he joined the NFL tomorrow I’d be terrified to see him try to get open outside against a Jalen Ramsey or Denzel Ward. I don’t think he would stand a chance. As a freshman and sophomore he has played exclusively from the slot. He hasn’t developed a route tree as an X receiver. Heck he didn’t really have one in the slot.

I have seen him playing out wide more often in 2021, but I still don’t see him beating press coverage or developing routes. Due to his lack of straight line speed it is imperative he learns to deceive corners and develop routes. He will not be able to run past defenders like DK Metcalf.

Speed

As i just said he is no DK Metcalf. London lacks elite speed and speed is becoming a must in todays NFL. Yes, he is a gifted athlete with a big body, but he can’t rely on his legs to generate separation at the top of his routes. He will need to prove he can excel in other areas to compensate for his lack of speed. If he can somehow work on his 40 time prior to the NFL Combine, it will be crucial to his draft status.

Drake London Strengths

Intelligence

Despite not having a great route tree or route running ability, London continues to put up big numbers. How? Well I’ll tell you how. He has a great sense of how to beat zone coverages. His ability to find the open space and sit for his quarterback is uncanny. He stands 6’ 5”, but you’d think the defense couldn’t see him at times. He is an absolute zone killer. London looks like he is finding his spot to sit in the zone before the snap.

Size

Drake London of USC.

Have I mentioned his size yet? Just in case I haven’t let’s do it again. He is 6’5” tall and weighs in at 210 lbs. London is built like the receivers of old. He is able to use his frame to high point the ball incredibly well. He also uses his body to shield defenders from the ball and secure the catch with his hands.

Once he has position, defenders need to just go for his legs because he won’t be letting them play the ball. Not to mention he has a huge catch radius. He would have been a great wide receiver for Cam Newton in his prime.

Hands

Drake London (15) plays wide receiver for USC.

If you are a basketball fan I’m sure you’ve seen all the talk and memes about Kawhi Leonard’s hands and how he can hold anything. London may not have hands as large as Kawhi’s, but he can catch almost any ball thrown his way. I love how he uses his hands to go get the ball. Look at his film against Arizona state. He uses his size and hands to go up over double coverage and come down with the touchdown.

Athleticism

Although he isn’t a burner, he is still a top tier athlete. I mean how many guys can play both college football and basketball? He may never be Cris Carter, who played both in college as well, but he still will contribute at the NFL level. London has deceptive foot quickness when running with the ball and can make defenders miss. He has a size quickness combination that will make him a nightmare for smaller corners to not only cover but tackle in space.

Drake London Draft Status

After once having him slated as a late first rounder/early second rounder, I am moving him back on my board for now. He has major upside and is still raw so I’d be okay taking London late on day two. If he can keep learning routes and how to play outside I believe he will be a second round lock at worst next April.

Final Thoughts on the Drake London Scouting Report

Not many NFL slot receivers stand 6’5”. Drake needs to continue to learn the x position and strive to run better and more developed routes. If he does so he could be a real weapon on the outside. His ability to high point a ball in the red zone would be a great add to any team. I see some of the same characteristics I saw out of Mike Strachan last year.

Unlike Strachan, London is already proving himself against higher competition and he won’t have to overcome the hurdle of proving he can play against better athletes. If London stays in the slot I would think of him as a better version of Jordan Mathews in his prime. Zone heavy defenses should also beware.