Dynasty Rookie Report Card: Drake London and Malik Willis
Each week throughout the season, I’ll cover at least two rookies in the Rookie Report Card and try to always include the biggest performers from that particular week. On top of reviewing my expectations for each player coming into the league and how well he’s lived up to those expectations at the NFL level to this point, I’ll grade the player in three categories. Those categories are performance to date, rookie season potential and long-term upside.
The series continues as we take a look at a pair of rookies with massive upside, Drake London and Malik Willis.
Drake London, WR ATL
Week 16 Stats: seven receptions, 96 yards (nine targets)
One of the premier draft prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft, regardless of position, London was seen by most in the dynasty community as one of if not the top receiver in a group of high-potential options.
Tall and athletic, he profiled as a possession receiver with the potential to develop into an elite end zone target because of his length (6’-4”), build (220 pounds), and ball skills. An excellent basketball player, he understands body positioning and how to use his size and leaping ability to high-point the football in a crowd.
While at USC, London hauled in 15 touchdowns in just 22 games, including seven in his breakout junior season in 2021 where he caught 88 passes for 1,084 yards in only eight games. That’s not a typo, he averaged 11 catches per game in his final season on campus.
London’s few detractors pointed to a lack of explosiveness at the line of scrimmage and out of his breaks as a reason to doubt his potential but he proved in college he can be a contested catch king both on the perimeter as well as out of the slot by always working back towards the quarterback and using his size to outmuscle defenders for positioning.
When London was selected eighth overall in the draft as the first wideout off the board, dynasty managers knew there would be some growing pains in Atlanta due to the lack of quarterback talent on the Falcons roster but there was genuine excitement about his landing spot. Some dynasty managers had him as high as number one or two overall on their dynasty rookie draft board following the NFL Draft.
While there have been plenty of down games over his first 15 starts as a pro, including nine where he failed to reach 50 yards receiving, London has delivered flashes of brilliance as a rookie. His recent stretch of three games with at least six receptions and 70 yards receiving has been his best of the season and although he hasn’t scored recently, it’s clear the game is slowing down for him and he’s realizing he can make his post-up game work at this level.
This three-game stretch has brought 32 targets and 20 catches for 261 yards – most of which has come on short to intermediate targets on drags, slants and dig routes. In the Falcons’ week 16 game against the Ravens, there was also an impressive post route against zone coverage in the fourth quarter where he went up between two Ravens defenders to make the catch at the three-yard line. But that was nothing compared to the one-handed grab he made against the Saints a week earlier on a drag route with a defender draped all over him though.
If you want to see a single play to show what makes dynasty managers so excited about London’s upside, find the third and nine contested catch he made down the left sideline late in the first half on Saturday. With All-Pro Marlon Humphrey in perfect coverage, he positioned his body perfectly along the boundary, skied to make the catch and tapped his toes on the sideline for a 15-yard gain.
Those that question his ability to uncover should also watch the Steelers game from week 14. They’ll see the slant route from the slot that absolutely shook safety Terrell Edmunds out of his shoes or the slot fade that completely burned corner Levi Wallace. He worked the Pittsburgh secondary on multiple comeback routes that got him loads of space.
So far as a rookie, London has hauled in 61 of 101 targets for 699 yards and four touchdowns. Although he’s lost a couple of crucial fumbles and has a bad drop or two, he’s also shown he can make plays at this level and only scratching the surface of his WR1 upside.
Looking an awful lot like a mix of Mike Evans and Mike Williams, London is in desperate need of a quarterback that can give him high-upside opportunities on back-shoulder throws and end zone shot plays. His win rate on 50-50 balls will be one of the best in the league once he gets those chances.
Dripping with potential, I can’t wait to see the year two leap London is going to make in 2023. Dynasty managers should hold on tight to their future top-12 fantasy receiver.
Malik Willis, QB TEN
Week 16 Stats: 14/23 passing, 99 yards, two interceptions, seven carries, 43 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
If you think back to the off-season, you’ll remember dynasty managers being so thirsty for the next great dual-threat quarterback that there were suggestions Malik Willis could be not only a first-round rookie draft pick, but potentially a top-five overall pick in the NFL Draft. Those thoughts stemmed from his playmaking ability as a runner and the elite arm strength he showed throughout his college career.
After throwing just 14 passes in two seasons at Auburn, Willis transferred to Liberty to take over as the Flames’ starter and literally ran with the opportunity. Rushing 238 times for 1,822 yards and 27 touchdowns over two seasons, he proved himself as an electrifying playmaker with his legs both on designed runs as well as while scrambling from the pocket.
Nobody questioned Willis’ running ability coming out of college. A powerful runner with the speed to outrun all linemen and most linebackers as well as the power to run through tackles, he was compared by many to Cam Newton or Jalen Hurts as a runner. Much like most running quarterbacks though, questions arose when considering his upside as a passer.
Playing at a lower level of competition, Willis completed 62.4% of his passes as a starter at Liberty. He threw for 222 yards per game in his time with the flames, tossing 47 touchdowns to just 18 interceptions in 23 games. Those numbers seem solid for a run-first quarterback but when you watch the tape of him in college, you see reasons to be concerned about his NFL upside.
As a dropback passer, Willis has very little patience in the pocket. Antsy with his feet and unable to keep his eyes downfield, he looks down at the rush and bails after the first read repeatedly, always looking to flush backwards out of the pocket rather than stepping up and through.
Although he shows a knack for recognizing a blitz and throwing quickly into vacated zones, he also fails to deliver the ball with timing on his first read against zone defenses with regularity, insisting on waiting for second or even third windows to throw the ball.
A long release, constantly holding the ball rather than getting it out and an insistence to throw rocket balls downfield instead of throwing with touch and allowing his receiver to run under the ball were also concerns in Willis’ game coming into the draft.
As everybody now knows Willis didn’t go on day one of the draft. He barely went on day two, going late in the third round to Tennessee – which was considered by most to be a solid landing spot for a developmental quarterback like Willis.
Personally, I had a lot of questions about Willis’ game translating to the pro level but love his raw upside and the landing spot and hoped he could sit for multiple seasons behind Ryan Tannehill to watch and learn.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case.
Willis has already made three starts as a rookie, appearing in eight total games. With the rookie under center, the Titans’ offense has become one-dimensional and appeared out of sorts. The coaching staff clearly doesn’t trust him to make multiple reads and prefers to not even call passing plays.
So far as a rookie, Willis has completed 31-of-61 passes (50.8%) for 276 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions. While he’s run for 123 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, he’s been completely overmatched on nearly every play he’s been on the field.
On Sunday against the Texans, he completed 14 passes, but none went further than 10 yards downfield. Looking uncomfortable and off-balance throughout the afternoon, he threw lazy passes across the middle, side-arm darts at the feet of his receivers and an incomprehensible interception right to a defender.
Willis also continues to struggle to stand in the pocket and deliver the ball without looking down at the rush. Just like in college, he flushes too early and looks to run before moving through his progressions. Unlike college, however, he was often contained to the pocket or caught from behind on the perimeter. He was sacked four times in the game, stepping into a couple with open check-downs available underneath the coverage.
After watching every play Willis has been on the field as a rookie, it’s clear he got on the field way too early. While I still believe he has immense upside, I’m convinced he needs time to improve as a passer and understand how to take advantage of aggressive coverages and blitzes so his truly elite physical traits can take over games.
While a sudden realization of his potential is possible in the same way Justin Fields has done this season, I would argue he’s starting from further away from his upside than the Chicago quarterback did at the beginning of the season. Willis still has elite upside; we’re just going to have to wait a year or two to see it. If we see it at all.
- League Tycoon: Dynasty Salary Cap Fantasy Football - December 15, 2023
- Final Dynasty Rookie Report Card: Wide Receivers, Part Two - March 22, 2023
- 2023 NFL Scouting Combine: Offensive Player Dynasty Review - March 10, 2023
