Bo Nix Always Believed Broncos WR Troy Franklin Would Succeed in NFL

Troy Franklin is turning the corner, just as Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos expected he would.

September 14, 2025, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S: Denver Broncos wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) celebrates after catching a pass for a touchdown during the game between the Denver Broncos and the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana. | Scott Stuart / IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

The Denver Broncos are buzzing about the emergence of Troy Franklin. The second-year wide receiver had a career game last week, leading the Broncos with eight receptions for 89 yards and a touchdown.

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix has had a front-seat view of Franklin's development, dating back to the 2022 season at Oregon. Franklin served as Nix's No. 1 target during two seasons the former Auburn quarterback played at Oregon, then the two were drafted together to Denver in 2024.

Nix turned in a historic rookie campaign, while Franklin spent a lot more time mired in the trial-and-error learning curve. It usually takes wide receivers some time to acclimate to life as a pro, and right on schedule, Franklin is turning a corner.

Nix isn't surprised, though. He always knew that Franklin had it in him to become a bona fide NFL threat.

“I think he’s starting to develop into the player that everybody ultimately knows he can become. I’ve mentioned he looks as comfortable and confident as he looked in college," Nix said of Franklin on Wednesday. "I think that’s starting to show, and I knew he always was going to have that in him."

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Confidence is Key

As a rookie, Franklin was assigned the No. 16 jersey, and it never felt quite right to him. But when the Broncos moved on from wide receiver Josh Reynolds, the No. 11 opened up for Franklin — his college number.

Such things have ju ju, and combined with the experience he gleaned as a rookie, and the 10 pounds of muscle he put on during the offseason, Franklin's confidence now is through the roof.

"It’s good to see him with the self-confidence to go out there, and make those plays, and continue to do it and play the whole game like he did," Nix said. "So I expect a lot, not necessarily more, because he did a lot. I expect just consistency from him, and I know he’s going to give us everything he has.”

After-The-Catch Ability

Used often as the Z receiver in Sean Payton's system, the Broncos now have a viable complement to their X, Courtland Sutton. Payton doesn't put much weight in the X or Z labels because he moves his receivers around the formation so much, but at the very least, when it comes to Franklin, the Broncos have developed a nice counter-balance to the attention Sutton demands from defenses.

A big change that Payton has seen in Franklin is his ability with the ball in his hands. That could be a result of the game slowing down for the young player now that he's been through the refiner's fire.

“The thing that you notice—that you guys notice—is his run after the catch, his explosiveness [with the] ball in hand and his confidence with this offense," Payton said of Franklin on Wednesday "A lot of times, they’re in an offense where they may just line up to the left side of the formation their whole game and occasionally come inside to the slot to the left. Then coming into the NFL, where they’re moved around, and you’re ‘X’ or ‘Z’, sometimes that transition takes a bit. Troy [was] the same way at Oregon. He’s handled it well, and I’ve been really impressed with his camp and these first two weeks.”

Chargers Await

This week's opponent is the Los Angeles Chargers, an AFC West rival that Denver failed to defeat last season. With two games under their belt, the Chargers currently have the 16th-ranked passing defense, although they're No. 7 in yards and No. 3 in points.

Although Franklin only totaled four receptions for 56 yards in two games vs. the Chargers last year, one of his two touchdowns on the season came against them. There will be some opportunities for Franklin this week, too, especially if L.A. tries to copy the Indianapolis Colts and sells out to take Sutton away. Fantasy football owners, take heed.

As the season marches on, we're seeing that the Broncos are developing multiple weapons with which to attack opponents. Key in on Sutton? Cool, let us introduce you to Franklin. Double Franklin over the top? Here's Evan Engram. Play single-high man coverage? Kaboom: here comes Marvin Mims Jr.'s long speed over the top.

So long as the Broncos continue to stay committed to the run game, which has been encouraging thus far, led by veteran J.K. Dobbins and rookie second-rounder RJ Harvey, Payton and Nix will have an arsenal absolutely chock-full of weapons. It's on Payton to ensure the offense doesn't become one-dimensional.