Troy Franklin

Troy Franklin capped his junior year at Oregon with nearly 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns, showcasing his deep-threat capabilities with a 29% dominator rating. Despite concerns about his slender frame at 6-foot-3 and 183 lbs, his rumored 4.35-second 40-yard dash underscores his potential as a top-tier receiver. Drafted on Day 3 by the Broncos after a disappointing combine, Franklin finds a favorable situation under Sean Payton, who has a history of trading up for wide receivers like Brandin Cooks and Marvin Mims. Positioned to play the "Z" role previously held by Jerry Jeudy, Franklin's existing chemistry with Broncos QB Bo Nix, his former college teammate, could give him an edge over other young receivers like Marvin Mims, enhancing his opportunity to make an immediate impact.

Franklin is a double-move demon. He has no issues snatching a corner's soul with a double move and then pressing the accelerator to the metal as he blows past them for a long gain. His easy and immediate ability to hit the gas shows up all over his film in his routes and after the catch. He transitions from receiver to rusher, seamlessly dodging defenders immediately after the ball is in his hands. He has a fluid change of direction ability, which shows up on his short area routes as he can cut on a dime on stop routes and comebacks. His special burst allows him to deploy a varied release package. He'll offer corners a change up at times, with his first step or two being exaggerated before exploding into his route. Franklin was utilized in line at times and caught his fair share of screens with some gimmicky usage, but don't let his route-running prowess get lost in that Oregon sauce. He has a route tree with plenty of branches. He has teach tape on stacking corners on deep routes. Franklin's upper body strength and hand fighting serve him well against physical corners. Concerns about Franklin's drop issues are warranted but will likely be overstated in the process. His nine drops in 2023 are nothing to ignore, but some of those were on poorly thrown balls by Bo Nix or in highly contested situations. He does have a few costly drops related to ball tracking and technique that can't be overlooked, but he also has some tough grabs made in the end zone and in traffic that lead me to believe that this is a correctable issue at the next level. Dynasty Outlook: I will say I was shocked that Franklin fell all the way to the fourth round of the NFL Draft, but considering the Broncos' depth chart and being reunited with Bo Nix, we can still have hope for Franklin. Franklin will have to compete for targets with Courtland Sutton (DEN has an out after this season with Sutton with a 9.6 million dead cap if they take it), Josh Reynolds, and last year's rookie flop Marvin Mims. Don't be surprised if Franklin is quickly pushing for the WR2 role in Denver by midseason. Franklin should be drafted in the late second or early third round in dynasty rookie drafts.