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The Atlanta Falcons players and fans alike are doing their best to stay cool over these final few weeks of summer before training camp begins on July 29. Unfortunately, we've reached the midway point of another extremely slow news week in Atlanta.
However, thanks to the folks over at ESPN, CBS Sports and Bleacher Report, we were still able to round up enough stories to help you get through this hot Wednesday evening.
In today's Falcons Wire Recap, Drake London receives mixed signals from two different NFL rankings lists, CBS Sports ranks Atlanta's offensive triplets, and Bleacher Report identifies the team's one "true" franchise player.
Even though he recently signed a four-year, $141 million contact extension that pays him the third-most money among NFL wide receivers, Drake London did not make ESPN's latest wide receiver rankings. Jeremy Fowler's poll of league execs did include London in the honorable mentions section, though.
Despite his ESPN snub, London was the first Falcons player revealed on this year's NFL Top 100 Players countdown. The former USC standout was ranked No. 66 overall, which represents a jump of 31 spots from 2025. Check out London's full NFL Top 100 segment below, as shared by the Falcons' social media account.
While every team would love to have a franchise player, many teams don't currently have anyone capable of filling that role. Bleacher Report attempted to identify 20 "true franchise players" ahead of the 2026 NFL season. 12 of the 20 players listed were quarterbacks. Falcons running back Bijan Robinson was one of the few non-QBs to make B/Rs list.
"It isn't easy for running backs to make these lists in this era, but Robinson was a first-team All-Pro and a genuine Offensive Player of the Year finalist as a 24-year-old in 2025," wrote B/R's Brad Gagnon. "It was his second straight season with at least 1,400 rushing yards, and he led the NFL with 2,298 yards from scrimmage. No back in football has as much difference-making potential as Robinson entering the 2026 campaign."
CBS Sports Jared Dubin ranked the Falcons' offensive triplets (QB-RB-WR) as the 16th-best trio in the NFL ahead of the 2026 NFL season. Tua Tagovailoa was listed as the starting quarterback in this latest scenario.
"Robinson's explosive season, in which he ran for 1,478 yards and caught 79 passes for another 820 yards, while being named a First Team All-Pro, is likely carrying the day here," wrote Dubin. "London is a stud, too, and he's probably getting credit for his talent after an injury-riddled season a year ago. That makes sense, but there is plenty of skepticism for Tagovailoa under center and out of the cocoon of Mike McDaniel's offense."
CBS Sports released a detailed breakdown of the four quarterbacks who changed teams over the offseason, featuring stat projections for each player. Zachary Pereles thinks Tagovailoa will win the starting job but only last 10 games.
"Tagovailoa 2026 projections: 17 TD, 10 INT, 2,100 yards. Tagovailoa's edge in experience under center should help him adjust to Kevin Stefanski's offense. Furthermore, after playing in Mike McDaniel's motion-filled offense, Tagovailoa is excellent at play fakes, unconventional passes, and getting the ball out immediately."
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons Recap: Drake London's ESPN snub, NFL Top 100 love
Continue reading...
However, thanks to the folks over at ESPN, CBS Sports and Bleacher Report, we were still able to round up enough stories to help you get through this hot Wednesday evening.
In today's Falcons Wire Recap, Drake London receives mixed signals from two different NFL rankings lists, CBS Sports ranks Atlanta's offensive triplets, and Bleacher Report identifies the team's one "true" franchise player.
Drake London snubbed by ESPN's WR rankings
Even though he recently signed a four-year, $141 million contact extension that pays him the third-most money among NFL wide receivers, Drake London did not make ESPN's latest wide receiver rankings. Jeremy Fowler's poll of league execs did include London in the honorable mentions section, though.
Drake London receives love on NFL Top 100
Despite his ESPN snub, London was the first Falcons player revealed on this year's NFL Top 100 Players countdown. The former USC standout was ranked No. 66 overall, which represents a jump of 31 spots from 2025. Check out London's full NFL Top 100 segment below, as shared by the Falcons' social media account.
B/R names Bijan Robinson 1 of 20 franchise players in NFL
While every team would love to have a franchise player, many teams don't currently have anyone capable of filling that role. Bleacher Report attempted to identify 20 "true franchise players" ahead of the 2026 NFL season. 12 of the 20 players listed were quarterbacks. Falcons running back Bijan Robinson was one of the few non-QBs to make B/Rs list.
"It isn't easy for running backs to make these lists in this era, but Robinson was a first-team All-Pro and a genuine Offensive Player of the Year finalist as a 24-year-old in 2025," wrote B/R's Brad Gagnon. "It was his second straight season with at least 1,400 rushing yards, and he led the NFL with 2,298 yards from scrimmage. No back in football has as much difference-making potential as Robinson entering the 2026 campaign."
Falcons offensive triplets ranked No. 16 by CBS Sports
CBS Sports Jared Dubin ranked the Falcons' offensive triplets (QB-RB-WR) as the 16th-best trio in the NFL ahead of the 2026 NFL season. Tua Tagovailoa was listed as the starting quarterback in this latest scenario.
"Robinson's explosive season, in which he ran for 1,478 yards and caught 79 passes for another 820 yards, while being named a First Team All-Pro, is likely carrying the day here," wrote Dubin. "London is a stud, too, and he's probably getting credit for his talent after an injury-riddled season a year ago. That makes sense, but there is plenty of skepticism for Tagovailoa under center and out of the cocoon of Mike McDaniel's offense."
Tua Tagovailoa 2026 season projection
CBS Sports released a detailed breakdown of the four quarterbacks who changed teams over the offseason, featuring stat projections for each player. Zachary Pereles thinks Tagovailoa will win the starting job but only last 10 games.
"Tagovailoa 2026 projections: 17 TD, 10 INT, 2,100 yards. Tagovailoa's edge in experience under center should help him adjust to Kevin Stefanski's offense. Furthermore, after playing in Mike McDaniel's motion-filled offense, Tagovailoa is excellent at play fakes, unconventional passes, and getting the ball out immediately."
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons Recap: Drake London's ESPN snub, NFL Top 100 love
Continue reading...
