NFL Draft Profile: Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin

Denver Broncos selected Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin with the 102nd overall pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Denver Broncos selected Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin with the 102nd overall pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Broncos traded up to select Franklin who will now reunite with their first-round pick, quarterback Bo Nix in Denver. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler had a 2nd-3rd grade on Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin while ranking him as his 12th-best wide receiver in the draft and his 58th overall player in the draft.

Franklin played a total of three seasons at Oregon and was a productive player during his time with the team. During his three seasons, he totaled 160 receptions for 2,483 yards and 25 touchdowns. This past season with Bo Nix at quarterback, Franklin totaled 81 receptions for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Player Profile

Height: 6-2

Weight: 176 pounds

40-time: 4.41 seconds

Vertical Jump: 39 inches

Broad Jump: 10’4”

3-Cone Drill: 6.9 seconds

20-Yard Shuttle: 4.31 seconds

Arm Length: 31 7/8th inches

Hands: 8 ³⁄₄ inches

Film Room

Scouting Report

Strengths

• Good height
• Great speed with big-time YAC ability
• Quickly accelerates, has quick feet, and explodes off the line
• Deep threat specialist
• Good body control to make tough catches
• Flashes open-field moves to make defenders miss and uses his speed to gain extra yardage
• Big play threat whenever the ball is in his hands
• Good leaping ability and can high-point the ball

Weaknesses

• Has a slender frame
• Could struggle against more physical corners in the NFL
• Can have some occasional drops
• Not an overly polished route runner

Troy Franklin RAS

What other analysts are saying about Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler – Link

A two-year starter at Oregon, Franklin was primarily a perimeter receiver in offensive coordinator Will Stein’s zone -read, West Coast scheme (lined up wide for 80.9 percent of his snaps in 2023). After leading the Ducks in receiving as a sophomore, he had the most prolific receiving season in Oregon history as a junior in 2023, setting single-season school records for catches (81), receiving yards (1,383), receiving touchdowns (14) and 100-yard receiving games (eight). Franklin quickly builds his speed vertically to stack man corners versus free releases, and the threat of his deep-third skills can loosen mid-field coverage (eight catches of 40- plus yards in 2023). Though he tracks the ball in flight, he has smaller hands, and his finishing focus is inconsistent — especially through contact against physical defensive backs. He will struggle early on against NFL press coverage. Overall, Franklin’s polish and catch consistency must improve, but he can be a big-play weapon (before and after the catch), because of his linear twitch and gliding acceleration. He projects as a field-stretching Z receiver, similar to DJ Chark.

How does wide receiver Troy Franklin fit with the Denver Broncos?

He has the potential to be a deep-threat option right away. He might be the fastest receiver on the team and already has chemistry with quarterback Bo Nix, so that is an added plus.

The Broncos’ wide receiving room is currently pretty crowded. Courtland Sutton, Josh Reynolds, and Marvin Mims Jr. figure to start while Tim Patrick, Lil Jordan Humphrey, Brandon Johnson, Jalen Virgil, and others were already on the roster. Now you add Franklin (and seventh-round rookie DeVaughn Vele) and you have a pretty deep unit. I am not exactly sure where Franklin will fit in the pecking order, but he has a skill set that will get him on the field.

Overall, I liked this pick a lot for the Broncos. Getting him in the fourth round when many expected him to go in the second round is a pretty good get and he has instant chemistry with quarterback Bo Nix who you selected with the 12th overall pick.