Denver Broncos rookie wideout Troy Franklin has burst onto the NFL scene over the past two weeks. The former Oregon Duck has gone from a no-name rookie struggling for reps to the Broncos' most-targeted receiver over the past two games, leading some around the league to tap him as a fantasy must-have.
Franklin's efforts haven't escaped Broncos head coach Sean Payton, who continues to find ways to use the speedy receiver. On Monday, Payton discussed the growth he's seen from the fourth-round pick.
“I think there’s a confidence [in] not only what he’s doing, but confidence in playing at this level," Payton said of Franklin. "You certainly see it week to week."
Franklin brings a unique blend of size, speed, and playmaking ability to the Broncos' receiving corps. It's no coincidence that Franklin's increase in targets has come in the immediate aftermath of starting receiver Josh Reynolds landing on injured reserve.
"He’s someone that runs well," Payton continued on Franklin. "He knows how to separate. I think it’s part of being a young player, but particularly for him as a receiver, finding that role. He’s playing lot of ‘Z’ for us, sometimes in the slot, but I think he’s progressing pretty quickly.”
Courtland Sutton plays the 'X,' and now Franklin is seeing the lion's share of 'Z' reps with Reynolds on IR. The Broncos mix things up, obviously, including Lil'Jordan Humphrey in the equation, and we've also seen an uptick in touches for Marvin Mims Jr.
Franklin led the Broncos in receiving with five catches (on six targets) for 50 yards in the team's 33-10 win over the New Orleans Saints. We'd be talking even more about Franklin's impact on Denver's receiving game had he not dropped what would have been a beautiful deep touchdown pass from Bo Nix in Week 5's win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
But Franklin bounced back from that embarrassing drop to lead the Broncos' receiving attack over the next two games. The chemistry Franklin shares with Nix dating back to the two years they spent together at Oregon has certainly helped the rookie wideout acclimate to the NFL.
The basis of that relationship could be why sites like Pro Football Focus foresee Franklin perhaps leading the Broncos in targets from here on out this season. If Franklin keeps it up, and meets those expectations, Reynolds will have a difficult time getting his starting job back upon his return from IR.
