Dez Bryant’s push for Franklin to the Broncos was ‘coincidence,’ says Payton

Luckily for the Denver Broncos, Troy Franklin’s draft stock fell, allowing an opportunity to get him in the fourth round.

If Dez Bryant and Peyton Manning are texting you after the Draft, it was probably a good draft.

Bryant, who played on a one-year contract at the New Orleans Saints under Sean Payton in 2018, has kept his former coach on speed dial – last texting him in 2020 to take a look at Jordan Love.

But on 11:30 p.m. MT Saturday it was about Troy Franklin: “If you can get Troy Franklin, get him … Troy Franklin a stud.”

Payton, who is not typically an early riser, texted GM George Paton at 6 a.m. telling him to get Franklin.

“I knew when I got a text at 6 a.m. that said, ‘Let’s get this player,’ that we had to figure this one out,” Paton said. “It was universal. It was a consensus.”

Payton said a text from Bryant at 11:30 p.m. was just confirmation of a direction he was already leaning.

“I got a text out of the blue from Dez Bryant. I am brushing my teeth. I hear the phone buzz, look over and he is like ‘Coach, you really need…’ and he was preaching to the choir,” Payton said. “The irony of that text at that time. I said, ‘listen I agree with you.’ I think I said, ‘I like him at the line of scrimmage.’ … I appreciated his insight last night, but it was kind of a coincidence.”

The rest is history. Paton worked out a trade with Seattle to trade up in the fourth round and selected the Oregon wide receiver with the 102nd-overall pick.

The only person happier than Bryant was probably Franklin.

“Man, [I’m] just feeling the joy,” Franklin said. “Just wanted to get my name called. …So glad somebody gave me a chance. The Denver Broncos gave me a chance to go out there, showcase my talent, do whatever I need to do to help the team.”

Despite catching 81 passes for a team-high 1,383 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns from Bo Nix in 2023 – and setting a single-season school record for receiving yards and TDs – Franklin had fallen to the fourth round. Many analysts had him as a Top 75 pick.

But a less-than-stellar Combine, some added time in front of Denver for Bo Nix’s Pro Day, plus a little bump from Bryant gave Franklin a chance for the Broncos.

“We also had the Combine and even at Bo’s private workout he was there,” Payton added. “We probably had a little bit more exposure. There was a lot more coincidence to that. That is just how this draft unfolds sometimes. There was a really unique player with a high grade, call it two rounds over, that is sitting there by himself.”

Payton said they see Franklin as an outside “Z” receiver.

“He is real quick out of his cuts. Some players, maybe versus bump and run, that can be problematic. Some players excel versus it. He is one of those guys that has really quick feet and he can run,” Payton said, adding that they noticed this while watching Nix. “We were seeing the result of this player. …He has really good speed. He is a guy we were really impressed with at the line of scrimmage.”

Reuniting the rookie receiver with his favorite quarterback may not have been totally intentional – and Payton believes players develop a new identity when they come to the NFL – but he’s certainly not discounting the benefit of a familiar connection.

“When it’s a quarterback and receiver, it certainly can’t hurt, but I think as they leave the college game where they were stars and starters in their own right there, I think they begin a new journey,” Payton added. “Listen, we were excited.”

So then it was an extra bonus to see Peyton Manning’s name thrown around during Nix’s introductory presser. Nix mentioned getting a text from the Hall of Fame QB whose Passing Academy he has attended.

“He’s always been so willing to reach out to me. He’s very good at being available to those young guys (and is) like that at the camp and obviously with Broncos players,” Nix said. “I’m excited to be around him and obviously spend some time with him. The knowledge they possess, you can’t get it from anywhere else. It’s the resource that I’m excited to use.”

It’s resource Payton will be happy for him to use too.

“Especially for a quarterback, someone like Peyton, his status, legend. … It’s huge to have someone like that here who’s close to the organization,” Payton said, adding it’s great for the entire team and organization to have Manning’s regular presence. Manning texted Payton after the Zach Wilson trade as well as the Bo Nix draft. “He comes by all the time, and we have dinner so it’s outstanding to pick his brain, obviously he knows all the quarterbacks. …He’s always been like three steps ahead. He’s a great resource.”