Instant analysis of Broncos trading up and drafting WR Troy Franklin

Travis Wakeman

Instant analysis of Broncos trading up and drafting WR Troy Franklin image

Sean Payton must have loved the Oregon offensive attack last season. Just minutes into the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Denver Broncos moved up in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks to the No. 102 pick to select Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin

This reunites Franklin with his Oregon quarterback, Bo Nix. The two combined for some huge plays in college. 

This gives the Broncos another top-end wide receiver who should not have been available in the fourth round. NFL Network, during their draft coverage, noted that some scouts stated that Franklin falling to the fourth round had a lot to do with how he ran routes at the scouting combine. Evidently, Payton did not share that concern as the Broncos traded up to get him.

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Here are the details of that trade:

Broncos get: Fourth-round pick (No. 102) and seventh-round pick (No. 235)
Seahawks get: Fourth-round pick (No. 121), fifth-round pick (No. 136), sixth-round pick (No. 207)

This was a fantastic move for the Broncos as Franklin caught 81 passes for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns last season, producing like one of the best wide receivers in the country. It also gives Nix a familiar face to help him acclimate to the NFL. 

 

The Broncos also have Courtland Sutton wanting more money, leaving his status up in the air. Great move for the Broncos, easily the best they have made in this draft so far. 

Grade: A+

Travis Wakeman

Travis Wakeman Photo

Travis Wakeman has been covering the NFL since 2012 when he started with Bleacher Report. After reporting about the Broncos there until 2016, he joined the FanSided network as a site expert covering the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers while simultaneously covering the Broncos at Broncos Wire when that site launched. He then took over the Broncos site at FanSided in March 2020 and covered the team there until spring of 2024. A lifelong Broncos fan and fan of the game, Travis is filled with sometimes useless NFL knowledge, but it always serves him well in any trivia contest. You can follow him on Twitter/X @traviswakeman10.