Drake London leads Falcons’ passing attack in NFL Week 1

The USC Trojans watched Drake London go in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft to the Atlanta Falcons. The excitement and hype surrounding London were brewing for months, and a preseason injury put his Week 1 status in doubt.

However, London suited up as the Falcons faced the New Orleans Saints to begin the 2022 NFL season. The former Trojan played well.

London led the Falcons in receiving yards with 74 and was tied for the team lead in targets with seven. He finished the day with five catches and was moving around well after a somewhat concerning knee injury he had dealt with the past few weeks.

London and former Oregon Duck QB Marcus Mariota connected well with each other in a tough 27-26 loss to the Saints.

That was the longest play of the night for London — a 31-yard catch-and-run. His knee looked just fine, and he emerged as Mariota’s favorite target, although Atlanta tight end Kyle Pitts also had seven targets in the game.

The next matchup for London won’t be as easy: the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2. On the other hand, London returns to L.A., and we imagine plenty of Trojan fans will be heading to SoFi Stadium to see him in the NFL.

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Story originally appeared on Trojans Wire