Denver Broncos select Troy Franklin in fourth round of 2024 NFL Draft

In a draft class loaded with talent at wide receiver, Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin hears his name next after being selected with the No. 102 overall pick in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos

Franklin was a two-year starter for the Ducks fresh off of a breakout season where he set single-season program records for receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, and 100-yard receiving games. Ending the 2023 season with 81 receptions for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns, earning All-Pac-12 First-Team honors along with a consensus Second-Team all-American selection.

At 6-foot-2, 176 pounds Franklin is slender, athletic wideout with game-breaking speed and the ability to make big plays after the catch. Evaluators believe that his route-running mechanics and catching consistency need improvement, but there’s no denying his ability to eat up the cushion of defensive backs and accelerate past defenders. Named a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist as one of the nation’s top wideouts in the 2023 college football season

Franklin was a four-star prospect out of Menlo-Atherton in California, where he was ranked the No. 43 overall player and No. 5 wide receiver in the country for the 2021 recruiting cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Troy Franklin

Franklin is the latest speedster to be selected in the NFL Draft after running a 4.41-second 40-yard dash at this year’s NFL Combine, with a skill set that NFL analyst Lance Zierlein compares to former Ohio State standout Chris Olave. But how does Zierlein think his game will translate to the next level?

“The puzzle pieces are fairly easy to put together when assessing who Franklin is and who he could be in the NFL. He’s a tall, linear receiver with good speed,” Zierlein said. “He’s sudden enough to beat press but lacks the play strength to win combat catches and fight for operating space underneath. He has an innate talent for avoiding traffic and maintaining his distance from pursuit after the catch on crossing routes on all three levels.”

“Franklin might not get WR1 target volume, but he should be productive with a high yards-per-catch average and the ability to open things up underneath for his teammates,” he added. “Franklin could become a coveted complementary piece for an established WR1 or a productive vertical target for a team looking for instant help in the passing game.”