Buffalo Bills 2024 NFL Draft top-30 visit: WR Troy Franklin

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2023 Pac-12 Championship - Oregon v Washington
Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images

Will the Bills nab Franklin in the first round?

The Buffalo Bills are meeting with wide receiver prospect Troy Franklin from Oregon on a Top-30 visit after they already met with him at the combine. The Bills clearly have some interest in Franklin and he’s in play for their first-round pick at number 28.

Selecting him there might be a little early for Franklin for some draft analysts, but he won’t be around for the Bills’ pick in the second round. Thus, if they want him they’ll have to take him earlier than that.

Franklin entered the draft process in the first-round realm and was originally discussed among the top five receivers. However, he has slipped in a bit since the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Let’s dive into what Franklin’s all about.

College Career

2021: 18 receptions for 209 yards and two touchdowns

2022: 61 receptions for 891 yards and nine touchdowns

2023: 81 receptions for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns; Second-Team AP All-American; First-Team All-Pac 12 Conference; 1,383 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns were single-season school records; set school career records with 25 receiving TDs

Franklin showed outstanding growth during his three seasons with the Ducks and stepped into the spotlight with a monster Junior-season campaign. It’s worth noting that current Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady recruited Franklin to LSU while he was a coach there, but Franklin ultimately chose Oregon.

NFL Combine

  • Height: 6’2”
  • Weight: 176 pounds
  • 40-yard dash: 4.41 seconds (10th among WRs)
  • 10-yard split: 1.61 seconds (dead last among WRs)
  • Vertical jump: 39”
  • Broad jump: 10’4”
  • 3-cone drill: 6.9 seconds (solid)
  • 20-yard shuttle: 4.31 seconds (not good)

Prior to the NFL combine Franklin was touted as possibly the premier deep threat in this year’s draft class. With Xavier Worthy breaking the 40-yard dash record and Franklin running slower than expected, that’s no longer being talked about.

Don’t get me wrong, a 4.41-second 40-yard dash is extremely fast, but it wasn’t the 4.3’s that was expected. His 10-yard split was surprisingly bad, but it just goes to show that once Franklin gets into gear, he’s lightning-fast. Franklin is still a dangerous speed threat and represents a big play waiting to happen — he just needs a few strides before he hits the turbo button.

Highlights

During this rep, Franklin gave the defender a quick shake off the line and got himself a clean inside release. He used his long strides to move past the defender and then immediately stacked him to ensure the defender stayed behind him. This is an excellent example of the type of deep threat Franklin can be.

This play is a perfect example of how well Franklin sells his go-routes to the defenders before he breaks it off for an intermediate reception. Defenders will respect his speed, and being able to do this with consistency will help his NFL game.

This play is one of my favorites from Franklin. It shows just how dangerous he can be after the catch if he gets the ball in space. One jab step to create a seam and he’s taking it to the house.

Pros

  • Has burners to take any play the distance
  • Vertical threat who uses his long strides to blow past defenders and stack them on go-routes
  • Sells vertical routes extremely well when running intermediate routes, making defenders think he’s going deep.
  • Is adept at getting open on short crossers and quick slants

Cons

  • Franklin’s lean body and light weight could make things difficult for him against physical corners
  • Seems to catch the ball with awkward hand positions at times, similar to Gabe Davis
  • Drops occur more than desired, but usually because of a lack of focus

How Troy Franklin fits with the Buffalo Bills

Franklin would be an immediate contributor to the Bills’ offense. His big-play ability and deep-threat prowess would give Buffalo an explosive playmaker they haven’t had at wide receiver in a while. Franklin isn’t a volume type of receiver — I would expect him to have a high-yards-per-catch average and haul in around 50-75 footballs.

I picture Franklin being used mainly on go routes, deep overs, slants and crossers. I don’t think Franklin would necessarily be the Bills’ WR1 of the foreseeable future, but a DeSean Jackson-type career arc is certainly possible for him.

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