When Greg Cosell and I recently watched tape with Oregon quarterback Bo Nix, the one receiver who came up more often than any other in the plays we sorted was Troy Franklin. And for good reason — last season, Franklin caught 81 passes on 114 targets for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns. More specifically (and key for his playing profile), Franklin caught 14 passes of 20 or more air yards on 25 targets for 558 yards and seven touchdowns, and that’s what his game is about — deep speed, and understanding how to use it to tear a pass defense apart.
In today’s NFL, it’s all about creating and defending explosive plays. Franklin is more than adept at creating them, and if you’re trying to defend him… well, good luck. Franklin has a few things to work out before he’ll be able to realize his full NFL potential, but it’s hard not to be excited about what he brings to the field.
PLUSES
— Oregon ran a ton of hi/lo concepts last season, and Franklin proved to be one of the NCAA’s best receivers when taking the top off a defense on post/go/over routes.
— Gliding vertical speed with a discernible extra gear to get to the deep ball.
— Has a great understanding of how and when to slip into voids in zone coverage.
— Speed cuts are immediate and nasty; Franklin can leave a cornerback high and dry with one simple move.
MINUSES
— Nine drops last season, and a lot of them were on simple screens, slants, and comebacks. He’ll need to get his eyes and hands together at the next level.
— Contested catches are hit-and-miss; he’ll lose a 50/50 battle for every one he wins.
— YAC ability is more about winning in the open field than breaking tackles with physicality.
— Could use a bit more suddenness against press coverage from the snap; he’s certainly got all the speed necessary to blow by cornerbacks in the open field, but they’ll stick with him off the line. The 14-yard catch against Washington State below is the ideal example of how he could win vs. press more often.
Franklin is a top receiver if you understand exactly what he is at this point in his development, and where he still needs work. With some time in the weight room and work on focus drops, he has WR1 potential with X-iso attributes. For now, put him in a heavy 3×1/2×2 offense and watch him work the deep third to your team’s advantage.
Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon
PLUSES
— Oregon ran a ton of hi/lo concepts last season, and Franklin proved to be one of the NCAA's best receivers when taking the top off a defense on post/go/over routes.
— Gliding vertical speed with a discernible extra gear to get to the deep… pic.twitter.com/1GbNX57T3I
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) March 29, 2024
