Oregon’s Troy Franklin First Round Receiver- Nothing Less

Oregon Wide Receiver (WR) Troy Franklin is the definition of electric.

He’s currently projected as a day two draft pick and a consesus No. 29 pick overall (nflmockdraftdatabase.com). For me, however, how I see him is clear cut.

This deep threat will be an immediate WR1 on an NFL roster that needs to fill that role.

The reality is this receiving class could possibly be the deepest since the 2014 NFL Draft. Headliners like Buckeyes’ Marvin Harrison Jr. and Huskies’ Rome Odunze are the talk of the draft, but the true gem lies in Eugene, Washington. If I was a general manager in the league, heading into the 2024 draft, I do not let Franklin fall out of the first-round.

That’s not just what I think, it’s what the game film is showing me.

The Perfect Fit

Franklin doesn’t just have one gear with his deep-threat ability within an offense. He’s long, fluid and vertically explosive. This makes him the kind of weapon defenses need to honor down the field in any offense schematically. He is a high-IQ player who has an outstanding feel for spacing. He understands how to set up defenders at the peak of a route using head and body fakes to create separation. His feel in zone coverage is outstanding and he understands how to uncover and make himself an easy target for his quarterback. Making his quarterback comfortable will create more opportunities for the offense.

Overview: Troy Franklin

6-foot-3, 187 pounds

40 time: 4.35 (nfldraftbuzz.com)

2022 stats: 56 rec / 867 yards (15.5 avg) 8 TDs

Level of Competition: Medium

Colton Edwards Grade: Late First-Round (Early 2023 Fall Report)

2022 film evaluated: Georgia, UCLA and Washington

2024 NFL Draft Scouting Report:

A true deep-threat wide receiver in any offense in the league. Could be the best deep threat in this draft. A long fluid athlete with explosive burst and speed to stretch the field and breeze past defenders. With a first quick step, he gets to his top speed in a hurry. If given free releases, there are multiple possibilities of him taking the top off the defense or settling down underneath. Elite balance helps him fight his way off the line of scrimmage against press coverage. Shows quick and violent hands. Although most people see him as the true deep threat, he’s more of a possession target than a field stretcher depending on the coverage. His competitive demeanor and ability to make plays after the catch makes him a threat through all zones of the defense. I only worry about his weight and inconsistency as a run blocker.

Summary

Even though I stated that Franklin is a perfect fit in any scheme, the Bills, Chiefs, Cowboys and Texans are teams to watch to see if they take him. If not, with his versatility on the offensive side of the ball, a lot of receiver needy teams will be on the lookout for his type of production. Not to forget, in 2022 when was targeted, his quarterbacks had an excellent QB rating of 140.6. He’s on track to stay over the 100 QB rating in 2023 which is very eye opening for quarterbacks in the NFL.

Who will he remind us of?

Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Calvin Ridley – – who went No. 26 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Colton just graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Science at the United States Sports Academy. He has previous coaching experience as a former offense and defensive line coach at a local high school. While performing those duties, he also worked at PFF( Pro Football Focus) for a brief moment of time. He currently develops scouting reports here at firstroundmock.com. His aspirations are to become an NFL Scout/GM in the future.