Two years before Drake London became a member of the Atlanta Falcons, another USC sports star became a top-eight draft pick who relocated in Atlanta.
Onyeka Okongwu was the No. 6 pick in the 2020 NBA draft. He went to the Atlanta Hawks and took his wingspan to a young and evolving team with Trae Young on it.
Falcons and Hawks fly together in Atlanta, and so do top-eight picks from USC. It’s quite the coincidence.
Okongwu’s defense helped the Hawks compete with the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The Hawks didn’t win the series, but without Clint Capela for most of that five-game battle, Okongwu had to play extended minutes. He was thrown into the fire, which wasn’t fun, but which could aid in his evolution as an NBA player.
The Hawks know they don’t have a fully-finished product on their hands, but they also know they have a reliable defensive force who meets specific needs on a team where the offense can be handled by Young and other scorers.
Drake London is entering a complictaed situation with the Falcons. Personally, London is in position to catch plenty of passes and post great numbers which should boost his NFL market value over the next several years. He is essentially the 2022 replacement for the suspended Calvin Ridley. He gets to work on the side of the field opposite Kyle Pitts. He’ll get plenty of one-on-one situations in which he can do his thing. Statistically, London should do really well in Atlanta.
In terms of team success, however, London might face a rougher road. The Falcons delayed a rebuild for several years but finally cut the cord and let Matt Ryan pursue a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts. The next few years figure to be lean ones for the Falcons. Getting high-end draft picks and accumulating assets will be important. Maybe by 2024, this team can once again think about becoming a factor in the NFC.
(Maybe Tom Brady will have retired by then, and maybe Aaron Rodgers will call it quits by then. We’ll…
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