Falcons Nab Instant Starter in Todd McShay's Latest 2022 NFL Mock Draft

The Atlanta Falcons found it difficult to put together a consistent passing attack in 2021 due to the departure of Julio Jones and the absence of Calvin Ridley. The receiving core is suddenly getting thin and Todd McShay projects that issue to be fixed in the latest edition of his 2022 NFL mock draft.

Falcons Mock Draft

McShay expects the Falcons to grab wide receiver Drake London out of USC with the No. 8 overall pick. It may be shocking to see the first offensive player taken off the entire board be a WR, but this class is notably shaky at quarterback. Atlanta would be nabbing an instant starter with this pick.

The Falcons finished the season with just one wideout posting over 450 yards, which was Russell Gage. To make matters worse, Gage is set to enter free agency this offseason and Ridley's future with the team remains murky. No one truly knows whether he'll be back on the field in 2022 or not.

Selecting London would give quarterback Matt Ryan a reliable target alongside tight end Kyle Pitts. The 20-year-old is widely praised for his versatility as a pass-catcher. He has the size (6-foot-5) to compete for contested balls and the speed to beat opposing defenders vertically.

Overall, London racked up an impressive 1,084 yards and 7 touchdowns on 88 receptions this past fall before suffering an ankle injury (8 games played). Yes, Atlanta has other holes on the roster to fill in before Week 1 rolls around. London may certainly be worth the cost of a first-round pick, though.

We'll see if the Falcons opt to improve their offense when the 2022 NFL Draft starts on Thursday, April 28.

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Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.