Troy Franklin’s spot in the Denver Broncos’ receiver mix has changed fast, and not in the direction he wanted.
A year after he claimed the No. 2 wideout job opposite Courtland Sutton, Franklin entered camp already facing a tougher road after the blockbuster Jaylen Waddle trade in March. That move bumped every Broncos receiver not named Sutton down at least one rung. Through the first stretch of training camp, Franklin has looked as if he slid even farther.
He hasn’t been featured nearly as much in practice, while Pat Bryant and Marvin Mims Jr. have both been getting more attention. Even without anyone outside the coaching staff tracking every target and catch, the trend has been hard to miss. Franklin’s standing appears lower, and the guys around him have been making noise.
After a strong Wednesday session, when Sutton rested and Waddle dealt with a minor injury, Franklin addressed the shrinking opportunities with a steady tone.
"It really comes down to being consistent," Franklin said after Day 5's practice. "When the ball comes my way, I have to make the play and always be ready. That’s the approach, regardless of how many targets I get."
That mindset has helped him turn what looked like a quiet camp into a better stretch over the last two days. Franklin landed in the “Winners” column on both Day 4 and Day 5, a welcome response after he had seemed like the forgotten man.
Even so, Bryant has made the most of the extra reps created by the absences of Sutton and Waddle. At the moment, Bryant may have the hottest stock of any Broncos wideout, Waddle included.
Mims has been right there too. He has been one of the standouts of camp, and Waddle said on Tuesday that Mims is explosive and that defenses have to "respect that kind of speed." New offensive coordinator Davis Webb also appears to value Mims’s skill set, perhaps even more than Sean Payton did in the recent past, as the Broncos’ offensive approach continues to take shape under Webb’s influence.
Based strictly on momentum, Franklin might sit fifth in the receiver order behind Sutton, Waddle, Bryant, and Mims. If Lil'Jordan Humphrey’s activity and production throughout camp and Hakeem Butler’s downfield plays are part of the picture, Franklin could even be viewed lower than that.
Still, Franklin has two things working in his favor: his draft pedigree and his time working with Bo Nix and the Broncos. And the last two practices have at least nudged his trajectory back in a better direction.
At the podium on Wednesday, Franklin didn’t shy away from the competition around him.
"It’s been pretty fun," Franklin said of the receiver competition. "Everybody is out there making plays, helping each other, and making sure we’re all competing at a high level. The room has a lot of talent, and it’s been a good environment so far."
That approach matters, because Franklin’s margin for error has narrowed. Denver needs him to be dependable when his number is called, especially after the drops that hurt the team last season. The Broncos finished with the second-most drops in the NFL, and Franklin had too many of them.
There were positives, though. He showed better ability to track the deep ball over his shoulder than he did as a rookie, and he had moments where he clearly mattered for Denver.
The reason the Broncos invested the draft capital they did in Waddle is clear enough: last season wasn’t enough. Waddle’s speed and burst have also seemed to raise the level of the other receivers in camp, especially Bryant and Mims.
Franklin still looks like he has a place on the 53-man roster unless something changes dramatically. But as the other receivers keep stacking strong days, his grip on that spot could loosen, and the idea of a trade could become more appealing for the Broncos.
For now, though, Franklin can only keep doing what he can control. The next big test comes when the preseason begins on August 14 on the road against the Atlanta Falcons.
In Other News...
Broncos Rookies Are Starting To Separate As Camp Gets More Serious
Padded practices have started to give the Broncos a clearer picture of which rookies are merely learning the ropes and which ones are beginning to push their way into real consideration. With camp getting more serious, Denver is taking a longer look at a group that includes Tyler Onyedim, Jonah Coleman, Kage Casey, Justin Joly, Miles Scott, Dallen Bentley and Red Murdock, all of whom are being judged not just on potential but on how they hold up when the pace and contact pick up.
What makes this stage of camp so revealing is that the evaluations are no longer broad or theoretical. The stock watch on these rookies reflects a mix of different paths and different levels of urgency, with some players looking more ready to carve out a role than others. For a roster still taking shape, those daily practices matter, and the next stretch of camp should sharpen the picture even further. [Read more 🡒]
Bo Nix Is Showing The Kind Of Growth Denver Needed Most
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The improvement has also put a spotlight on the next phase of his development, especially with new offensive coordinator Davis Webb now in place. Camp observations have pointed to better accuracy and faster decisions, but the real test remains ahead, when defenses are full speed and every throw is under the pressure of the regular season. For the Broncos, the encouraging part is not just that Nix is healthy again, but that his progress is showing up in the areas they needed most. [Read more 🡒]
Broncos Still Have Three Roster Pressure Points They Can't Ignore
The Broncos roster looks sturdier than it has in recent years, but there are still a few places where the margin for error feels thin. Tight end remains the most obvious spot to monitor, especially if Denver wants a more reliable presence there to complement the rest of the offense. Linebacker and safety also stand out as areas where added competition could help, particularly if the team wants more dependable depth and a little more flexibility before the season settles in.
Those are the kinds of pressure points that tend to linger into the fall if they are not addressed early, and they can shape how the Broncos approach the rest of the roster-building process. A trade or veteran addition is not inevitable, but the speculation makes clear where the holes are and how Denver could try to patch them without overhauling the whole roster. For a team trying to keep climbing, those are the spots worth watching. [Read more 🡒]