ATLANTA — About three quarters of the way into Friday's practice, I was pretty sure Drake London was going to highlight this story.
Then, he made a play that was most certainly the best thing I saw today — maybe even the best thing I've seen throughout the entire training camp thus far — and I was very sure in my decision.
London caught a deep ball down the right sideline, falling to the turf but still holding onto the ball while staying in bounds. Cornerback A.J. Terrell had stellar coverage, but it didn't matter.
Good defense, better offense as they say.
It was a classic, physical catch from London. I was immediately brought back to the Week 5 game against the Houston Texans where London made a similar catch. Or better yet, his catch in Week 6 versus the Washington Commanders.
With the backdrop of Mercedes-Benz Stadium with several thousand fans cheering after London's completion this Friday, I thought to myself, "Yeah, we're going to see this again."
We've talked a lot about Cousins' connection with Kyle Pitts, and for good reason. Pitts has looked refreshed through training camp so far, and seems primed for a comeback year. Today, however, may have been the most comfortable I've seen London.
It's not to say the wide receiver didn't look good before. He had a practice in which he was overheated and had to retreat to the sideline last week, and he followed it up with a solid showing the next night at Seckinger High School. He's looked just fine, but in this practice, he stood out. And he did so well before the grab that got the fans excited.
In fact, on the play right before the one described in the lede of this article, London had a solid catch with, again, solid coverage by Terrell, albeit less explosive than the one after. When the Falcons ran their 11-on-11 period in the red zone, London caught the lone touchdown.
From my count, the wide receiver was perfect when targeted, catching all eight passes thrown his way.
London has the chance to have a breakout season in this third year, especially with Cousins under center. During the open practice, London gave fans something to be excited about, but Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has already been making some lofty comparisons.
"Back in the day when we were led by Julio Jones and Roddy White. Roddy White's toughness jumped off and it transitioned to Muhammad Sanu. And you've seen those guys play with that type of toughness, guys like Justin Hardy. Drake has that dog mentality of Harry Douglas," Morris said. "It's the history of the Falcons wideout. He's carrying that with a high standard and a high banner."
That's high praise from any coach, but it means even more from Morris since he coached Jones and Sanu back when he was the Falcons' wide receivers coach from 2016-19. Morris coached Jones to a first-team All-Pro year his first year leading the room. He doesn't make that comparison lightly.
At Mercedes-Benz Stadium Friday night, London showed a glimpse of what we could see a lot more of this season.
