One of the more intriguing wide receiver prospects at the 2022 NFL scouting combine is USC’s Drake London. And the big Trojan definitely raised some Detroit eyebrows with one of the first answers he gave in his podium time on Wednesday.
When asked who he compares himself to, London did not hesitate.
“Megatron, Calvin Johnson,” London said without skipping a beat. “Definitely one of the greatest.”
He did add a current player, too.
“As I grew into myself, Mike Evans for sure. Definitely someone I can take from his game and implement it into mine,” London continued.
The above-the-rim style London plays definitely calls to mind both Johnson and Evans. At 6-foot-5, London was a basketball standout as well and has incorporated the leaping catch and boxing out phases of hoops into his game. He’s quite a bit lighter than either Johnson or Evans, however; London checks in at 209 pounds, whereas Evans was 231 and Johnson weighed in at 239. In seeing London in person in Indianapolis, he’s not built anything like either Evans or Johnson in terms of leg girth or upper-body muscle, either.
London also stated he’s had a lot of ongoing contact with Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. The two were teammates at USC.
“Definitely a big brother right there,” London said of St. Brown. “I was blessed enough to get in a room with him when I was younger and be there with him for two years. So he’s definitely been in my ear, helping me through this process. I watched a lot of his games. For him to come up on the scene at the end was definitely something that he had to prove himself, and I’m happy he did.”
Reuniting with St. Brown in Detroit could be tough. London is generally projected to be drafted in the 10-25 overall range, while the Lions have picks at Nos. 2 and 32. But London would definitely like the chance.
“That would be cool,” London responded when asked about playing with St. Brown with the Lions. “A blessing for sure to have something like that. Help me out with the locker room atmosphere and all that, but at the end of the day I’m just trying to get picked.”