The Ravens are walking into Week 5 with one problem that keeps getting bigger by the snap: Drake London.
Atlanta’s offense has been the most explosive in the NFL over the past two weeks, and while Bijan Robinson grabs most of the attention, London is the matchup Baltimore has to solve. At 6-foot-4, he’s the kind of receiver who makes life miserable even when a defender feels good about the coverage. His route running doesn’t have to be dazzling to matter; it just has to be enough to open a lane, because once there’s a window, London has a habit of finishing the play.
He’s not just part of the Falcons’ passing game - he is the passing game. According to FOX Sports’ Greg Auman, London has accounted for 48.2% of Atlanta’s receiving yards.
Over the last two games, he’s piled up 14 catches for 290 yards, and Michael Penix Jr. looks like he’s found a dangerous rhythm with him. That connection is exactly the kind of thing that can stress Baltimore’s secondary all afternoon.
The Ravens’ back end hasn’t exactly inspired confidence in 2026. Big performances have already come against Chris Olave, CeeDee Lamb, and George Pickens, and London belongs in that same class of challenge.
Malaki Starks, Jaylinn Hawkins, and Marlon Humphrey have all had their issues, and Nate Wiggins - the most obvious candidate to spend time on London - comes with his own concern. He’s feisty in coverage, but at his size, there’s always the risk of getting overpowered when the ball is in the air.
That matchup becomes even trickier because Baltimore may not have Lamar Jackson available. If that’s the case, the Ravens can’t afford to let Atlanta’s offense dictate the game through efficiency and timing.
Penix has completed 73.3% of his passes, and his connection with London is even sharper at 87.5%. The Falcons may not be piling up huge air-yard numbers, but they’ve been ruthless when it comes to making the throw that matters.
Jesse Minter also made it clear that this won’t be a simple shadow assignment. He said he doesn’t expect anyone to stick with London all game, and he pointed to Atlanta’s constant motion as part of the problem.
“There’s potentially some situational things [for Wiggins to shadow London],” Minter said. “[The Falcons] shift and motion and fast motion so much on their normal down stuff.
That’s why they do it to create space for [London] to get him away from people. He’s in the slot a lot as well … We know that they’re gonna get him the ball; obviously, we gotta do things to negate that.”
That leaves Baltimore with a tough choice: keep trying to match up straight up and risk London winning at the catch point, or start leaning into help coverage and force Atlanta to work harder for everything. Either way, the Ravens probably can’t live with a one-on-one plan for long. London doesn’t need much room, and the Falcons know how to move him into it.
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