Denver Broncos select Oregon WR Troy Franklin with the 102nd overall pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft

Denver Broncos select Oregon WR 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.

Troy Franklin is a 6-2, 176-pound wide receiver with 4.41 speed, a 39-inch vertical jump, and adds some more speed and deep-threat ability to the Broncos’ offense. This is the second wide receiver Payton has drafted since joining the team as their head coach. Last season he traded up to select Marvin Mims Jr. in the second round and this year, he trades up to select Troy Franklin in the fourth round.

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.

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.

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.

Franklin now joins a suddenly crowded wide receiver room that has Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, Josh Reynolds, Tim Patrick, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Brandon Johnson, Jalen Virgil, and others.

Franklin adds some speed and big play ability to this unit and it will be exciting to see how Sean Payton uses him in his offense. With Bo Nix likely starting this season, expect Nix and Franklin to connect early and often this upcoming season.