Why Troy Franklin has made the leap for the Broncos in Year Two

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — For Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin, his fast start to the 2025 season began in May.

It was back then when the Oregon product began to make his move. On the field, Franklin stood out by turning some short screen passes into lengthy gains, which led Broncos coach Sean Payton to praise what he could do after the catch.

But away from it, something more important was happening.

“I feel like Troy came into OTAs and training camp with this laser focus,” wide receiver Courtland Sutton explained. “Troy and I sit next to each other in meetings and watching how Troy takes coaching — he’s always taking coaching really well.

“Even last year, stuff would happen and Troy was always, ‘Yes, sir, yes, sir, yes, sir.’ There was never any attitude. He was always willing to learn. And I think he’s taken that to another level.”

Franklin found that next level at training camp. He began with some eye-popping catches, typically against reserve defenders. Then, a few more repetitions against the No. 1 defense came his way.

During the quasi-scrimmage practice on Aug. 2, he had a potential touchdown catch from Nix in his grasp, but dropped it. That’s the kind of moment that could have squelched momentum for a young player; instead, he returned two days later and continued stacking big plays and outstanding days.

“I think it’s a testament to his hard work,” wide receiver Marvin Mims Jr. said. “I mean, you guys saw, he had an amazing camp and just little details and we’re all kind of growing and with each other … So we’re all just kind of growing and Troy’s taken amazing steps and just finding ways to get open.”

And while Sean Payton maintained that he didn’t want to trade Devaughn Vele, there’s little doubt that Franklin’s emergence is one of the factors that made such a deal possible — and led to other teams dialing Broncos general manager George Paton about Vele’s availability.

Word gets around. Film gets around. And between the progress of Franklin and the ascendance of rookie Pat Bryant, the Broncos had ample options that threatened to squeeze Vele out of snaps, despite the 2024 seventh-round pick’s outstanding rookie season.

That opened the door for Franklin to get more opportunities, and with those, he became the team’s leading receiver through two weeks of the regular season.

BRONCOS FINDING THE VALUE OF FRANKLIN’S LONG-STANDING CONNECTION WITH BO NIX

The work Nix and Franklin had together at Oregon didn’t quite manifest in big plays last year; until their 43-yard touchdown pass early in the wild-card loss at Buffalo, their story was primarily one of missed connections.

But their 42-yard collaboration last Sunday — one which saw Nix escape the pocket and find Franklin, who’d broken off his route — offered a taste of the possibilities for the duo. It also was a product of their years of work together, with Franklin reading Nix’s scramble and the quarterback anticipating how Franklin would find space down the left flank.

That sort of cohesion doesn’t come together quickly.

“I saw [Nix] rolling out my way and I really didn’t feel my defender on me,” Franklin said. “And I kind of just felt like nobody [was] taking the, taking the downfield part, so I kind of seen them rolling to me and it just kind of just hit my mind to just take it upfield.”

“… Most of it is that, just kind of getting back into, you know, how I felt like when I was at Oregon and stuff, you know, just feeling comfortable. And then, me and him, you know, we kind of already have like a connection.

That, plus the work of the offseason, leads to the promising early-season results. Only fools would dismiss them.

“[It’s] really fun to see him take that next step,” Sutton said. “And I think that’s the biggest thing for young guys, being able to take that step from rookie year to second year and finding out how to become a better pro.”

Perhaps Franklin won’t be the Broncos’ leading receiver by the end of the season; surely Sutton and Mims will get their turns at the Nix buffet of targeted passes. But what appears certain is that Denver has found another viable weapon at wide receiver, creating more coverage questions for defenses to answer, and more space for Sutton, Mims and others to operate.

 

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