FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Drake London's first exposure to David Sills V was when London was in high school. London, a wide receiver, would often watch and study tapes of college wide receivers to help his own game.
Sills was a West Virginia receiver who caught London's eye. In 2017, Sills was a first-team All-American and tied for the FBS lead in touchdown catches (18).
Fast forward nearly a decade later and London and Sills are teammates with the Atlanta Falcons.
"He's legit, and I love watching him work out here," London said.
They could not have had different journeys. While London was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 draft and is currently on the verge of becoming one of the top wide receivers in the league, the position was actually Sills' second act. Originally a top quarterback prospect, Sills got injured, moved to receiver in college and went undrafted. He's had cups of coffee with three other teams since 2019 and is now trying to hook on with the Falcons after an impressive summer.
Sills, now 29 years old, committed to the University of Southern California as a quarterback when he was just 13 years old. He was once hailed by Sports Illustrated as one of the greatest football prospects ever and Bloomberg News referred to him as "the best arm money can buy."
But Sills broke a knuckle on his right -- throwing -- hand as a junior in high school. He ended up de-committing from USC, which preferred to go in another direction at quarterback that included Sam Darnold. Sills signed with West Virginia and briefly won the starting quarterback job there. But he was never the same after the injury.
So Sills moved to wide receiver and had an incredible career for the Mountaineers. That collegiate success at a new position has not completely translated to the pro game, but he has hung around for six seasons, most recently with the Denver Broncos.
The Falcons signed him to a future/reserves contract in February.
Sills said he feels like he's still learning a position that many players at this level have been playing since Pop Warner.
"I think there's obviously a lot of talent that goes into [playing wide receiver], but I think it's almost an art," Sills said. "You see the different sizes and speeds of different receivers.
"There's different ways that people are successful, and I don't think there's one way of what you can say a successful receiver looks like. So, I think that's kind of mastering what I think, maximizing what I am as a receiver and trying to bring that to the team I think is really what I'm trying to do now and trying to just continue to get better at that."
Sills has not played in a regular-season game since 2023 with the Broncos and has not made a catch in a regular season game since 2022 with the New York Giants when he had 11 receptions on the season.
This summer, though, the 6-foot-4 Sills has impressed. He's been quarterback Kirk Cousins' favorite target with the second-team offense and is on the cusp of a potential roster spot. Coach Raheem Morris removed him from the team's second preseason game against the Tennessee Titans on Aug. 15 after he caught two passes on the first series so he could focus on special teams. His work there will be what makes or breaks him when it comes to a roster spot. Cut-down day is Tuesday.
"I definitely feel like I've had a good training camp," Sills said. "I feel like I've put a lot of good things on tape, but like I said, I can control what I can control.
"There's a lot of things that I can't control, but I can control my attitude, effort and what I'm doing day in and day out at practice. So, that's really what I'm trying to work on now. And you got to just let the chips fall where they may."
Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said Sills "sees the game like a quarterback" and is able to line up in all three wide receiver positions, almost like the second-team offense's London.
"I think he's been a pleasant surprise," Cousins said. "I think coaches are excited about the role he could play for us this year. I think he's a very natural player, and I like having him out there."
He's not the only one. London said the first day he met Sills back during OTAs he told him that he used to watch his highlight videos.
"He was like, 'Oh, oh, that's cool,' trying to downplay it and stuff like that," London said. "Nah, Sills is really popping out."
On London, Sills joked that "I feel like I'm watching his highlight every day at practice."
Sills' story might not have turned out how he wanted, but he still has a chance for more.
"I've kind of had an interesting journey through college and high school and everything and even in the league, but I think that journey kind of makes you who you are today," Sills said. "I wouldn't change the process, what I've gone through to get to this point.
"I think it makes me the player and the man I am today. So, I wouldn't change anything, but it's definitely not how I envisioned it when I was a 10-year-old boy."