The Falcons boast some of the best young talent in the league at their skill positions, including Drake London, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts. There’s no question that Robinson will make an appearance on the NFL Top 100 list, but that will undoubtedly be closer to the Top 10 reveal on September 1st.
Yesterday, the NFL started the countdown with Chargers WR Ladd McConkey (No. 100) and Seahawks DL Leonard Williams (No. 99). They continued this morning with Vikings RB Aaron Jones at No. 98 and Falcons WR Drake London at No. 97. They’re all first-timers on the list, but London shined the most in 2024, earning the highest spot in the NFL Top 100.
London Makes NFL Top 100 Thanks to Breakout Season in 2024
Drake London experienced a bit of a sophomore slump in 2023, at least in terms of his ability to reach the end zone. But, he bounced back quite nicely last season.
London led Atlanta in all three categories in 2024, hauling in 100 catches, eclipsing 1,000 yards for the first time and notching a career-high 9 touchdowns. NFL.com Digital Content Producer Bobby Kownack calls London “a target hog who delivered consistently for the league’s fifth-ranked passing offense.”
Kownack especially liked what he saw toward the end of last season. He thinks the production from the young Falcons duo of London and Michael Penix Jr. paints a “tantalizing” picture of what’s to come.
“His output across quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s three starts paints an especially pretty picture for the future: 352 yards and two TDs on a whopping 37.1% target share,” writes Kownack. “Might it only be the beginning for the young Falcons duo? It’s a tantalizing thought.”
One key spot to watch for London this season could be the slot. As Kownack points out in his NFL Pro Insight section, London led all receivers in target rate (34.9%) on routes run out of the slot. He notes that London finished with the sixth-most receptions (45) and gained almost half of his yards (555) out of the slot.
London Tops the List of Wide Receivers Next up for Big Contracts
If London can continue his hot streak from the final stretch of last season, the 4th-year receiver should earn himself quite the payday next summer. The newest NFL Top 100 member has a spot on the list of the next wide receivers to get paid, writes Jared Dubin of CBS Sports.
Dubin notes that the Falcons picked up London’s $16.8 million fifth-year option shortly after this year’s draft, allowing them to kick the can down the line a little more on his extension.
“Atlanta is currently bumping up against the salary cap both this year and next, but signing London to an extension would actually relieve some of the financial burden for 2026 by lowering his base salary,” writes Dubin.
As I noted above, London earned his spot on the NFL Top 100 list by serving as the Falcons No. 1 receiver. Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. targeted London on over 29% of their passes and he brought in over 27% of the team’s receptions.
“London ranked third in the NFL in team target share, with 29.3% of Atlanta’s passes being thrown in his direction, according to Tru Media, a rate that checked in behind only Malik Nabers and Justin Jefferson,” writes Dubin. “He was quite efficient on a per-route basis as well, ranking 10th in the league in adjusted yards per route run (which accounts for first downs and touchdowns).”
Dubin notes that, while London “would be fully justified” to request a contract “near the top of the market,” he may be better off waiting until next offseason for contract talks. Even though Spotrac sees his market value being closer to Nico Collins than Ja’Marr Chase, if he can provide similar production in 2025, London could jump up into the top 10 among the league’s highest-paid receivers.
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