Payton Reveals How Broncos' Troy Franklin Pick Was About More Than Bo Nix

The Denver Broncos head coach couldn't get Troy Franklin out of his head entering Day 3 of the NFL draft.

Oct 22, 2022; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) celebrates with / Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos used the NFL draft to surround quarterback Bo Nix with additional weapons. Nix will be expected to start under center, perhaps even right off the bat.

With that in mind, drafting wide receiver Troy Franklin, Nix's favorite target at Oregon, was a no-brainer, although it required a trade-up. Finding another difference-maker was paramount, especially after Jerry Jeudy was traded away.

Denver traded up to ensure landing Franklin, and still, some fans might question where he fits in. However, head coach Sean Payton has a "clear vision" of where Franklin can thrive.

"The two of us looked at [Franklin] and knew it was going to be impossible for us to wait. When the day ends, there is always these six players around the league that you feel are going to go pretty quickly," Payton said following the draft. "We see him as an outside 'Z.' He has really good speed. He is a guy we were really impressed with at the line of scrimmage."

Payton not only pounded the table to draft the 21-year-old wide receiver, but Franklin was firmly on his mind as the sun started to come up over the Rocky Mountains on Day 3 of the draft.

Broncos GM George Paton fielded an early morning text, an alert detailing Payton's belief that trading up to grab Oregon's deep-threat receiver should be their first point of business. And so it proved.

"We left about midnight because we were here late, obviously," Paton said. "Sean sleeps in a bit typically. I knew when I got a text at 6 am that said, 'Let's get this player,' that we had to figure this one out. It was universal. It was a consensus."

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The Broncos rallied internally to ensure they landed Franklin. His ability to win the one-on-one battles was a unique trait that Payton could barely hide his enthusiasm over while he critiqued the trade-up to select the receiver with the No. 102 overall pick.

"He is real quick out of his cuts," Payton said of Franklin. "Some players, maybe versus bump and run, that can be problematic. Some players excel versus it. He is one of those guys that has really quick feet and he can run. George and I were watching Bo and we are seeing the results of this player."

Franklin's ability to win off the snap didn't escape the eagle eye of former All-Pro receiver Dez Bryant — who picked up the phone and suggested to Payton, his former coach, that he simply had to nab Franklin.  

"At 11:30 a.m., I got a text out of the blue from Dez Bryant," Payton said. " I am brushing my teeth. I hear the phone buzz, look over and he is like 'Coach, you really need...' and he was preaching to the choir. The irony of that text at that time. I said listen I agree with you. I think I said, 'I like him at the line of scrimmage.' Then you go back, and he was texting me about [Packers QB] Jordan Love years ago."

The Broncos hope that the chemistry Nix has with Franklin, and Alex Forsyth, who gave Nix a shining testimonial pre-draft, can be reestablished early, but it's difficult to predict, as the NFL is a reset for every player, even college football stars.

"Then when it's a quarterback and receiver, it certainly can't hurt, but I think as they leave the college game where they were stars and starters in their own right there, I think they begin a new journey," Payton said. " I think maybe a couple of years, three years down the road, hopefully, you'll be able to see... I know a lot is made of the cohesiveness and all of that, but when they arrive here, they start all over."

Don't let Payton's pragmatism detract from the overall excitement the Broncos are feeling about Nix and the 2024 draft class.

"Listen, we were excited," Payton said of landing Frankling. "Obviously, after picking Bo, I think both of us felt like he was going to be taken in the second round. Then we begin working through these scenarios. So that will all take care of itself, but it periodically happens."

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