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Big WRs Treylon Burks, Drake London eager to translate skills to NFL level

Both receivers are at the top of the receiving prospect rankings for the 2022 draft, and both have an above-average frame that could help them shine at the position

INDIANAPOLIS — Treylon Burks already has all the natural traits most of the top receivers in the NFL possess.

Height? He's 6-foot-3, which is taller than any receiver currently on the Browns' roster. Weight? He's 225 pounds, the same range as some of the bulkiest and physical receivers in the league such as DK Metcalf (235 pounds), AJ Brown (225 pounds) and Deebo Samuel (216 pounds).

Oh, and his hand size? He's a size 4X and needs to wear custom-made gloves.

With a body like that, Burks, a standout receiver from Arkansas who could be the first receiver to be selected in the 2022 NFL Draft, would be a fit for any NFL receiver room.

"I would just say physicality (is my best trait)," Burks said Wednesday at the NFL Combine. "I can be used in multiple positions. I can play outside receiver, inside receiver, running back. It doesn't matter."

Drake London, another top receiving prospect from USC, has a similar frame. 

He made a habit of winning contested catches with the Trojans because, at 6-foot-5, he's almost always the tallest player on the field. He's recovering from an ankle injury that forced him to miss the last four games of the season, but London had already eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark to solidify a quality year. His big frame alone was enough to ensure he'd receive first-round interest for the draft, too.

Both London and Burks could be top players of interest for the Browns, who hold the 13th overall pick and will almost certainly have a chance to select one of the top receiving prospects in the draft, if they choose. With just three receivers — Jarvis Landry, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Anthony Schwartz — currently under contract for 2022, Cleveland likely will explore the position in the early rounds.

There's no overall consensus on which receiver is the best in the draft class, but London and Burks, as well as Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson, have been the top-ranked prospects so far. Burks recorded 1,104 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns with the Razorbacks, and London recorded 1,084 yards and seven touchdowns with the Trojans.

Each receiver, of course, believes they're the top wideout in the draft class, but they both respect the versatility that makes them great, and the combine will help show even more just how athletic the top of the class is — London, however, said he doesn't plan on participating in on-field drills until USC's Pro Day as he continues to recover from his injury.

"All of us are pretty versatile in our own ways," London said. "We all have our different types of tools."

General Manager Andrew Berry speaks at his media availability at the 2022 NFL Combine in Indianapolis Indiana

London and Burks both said they've met with the Browns in Indy, and both have evidence of how special their athletic gifts are off the football field, too.

London was a dual-sport player at USC and played basketball up until last season. He didn't receive much playing time at the college level, but he did average 26.8 points per game and 11.9 rebounds per game at Moorpark High School in California. London was a rebound machine, and those jump and catch skills translated well to football.

"It's just like getting rebounds," London said. "When I see the ball in the air, I want to go get it. I use my crossover and press, things like that, as well body control. It helped me in the long run."

Burks' evidence is a bit different.

He hunts hogs as a hobby, which requires different techniques than the more commonly thought-of hunting methods. To hunt hogs, Burks, who's from Warren, Arkansas, has dogs that slow the hog down first, and then he moves in to finish the job.

"We come from behind them and attack them," he said with a smile.

Neither of those activities for Burks or London are likely to change their draft stock, of course, but they do show how each of them are able to use their natural athletic gifts to do things besides catching a football.

Such gifts will be very welcomed in a wide receiver room, and the Browns certainly appear to be one of the teams who could benefit from them if they choose at pick No. 13.

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