2024 Dynasty Rookie Early Look: Troy Frankin, WR Oregon
While the big three at the wide receiver position are dominating the headlines for the 2024 NFL Draft, there are still plenty of talented pass catchers who will hear their names called on the first day of the draft in April. The speedy Troy Franklin out of Oregon is one of those players with high-end upside who I’ll be targeting this spring in rookie drafts.
Recruitment
Franklin was a highly recruited prospect out of California who was ranked as the WR3 in the 2021 class ahead of the other big names in this draft class like Marvin Harrison Jr, Malik Nabers, Xavier Worthy, and Brian Thomas Jr.
He was pursued by most of the former Pac-12 teams and ultimately chose Oregon over his other three finalists of Alabama, Arizona State, and Washington. He wanted to stay close to home and be a part of the change he saw coming at Oregon.
Courtesy of 247 Sports.
During Franklin’s high school career, he had 102 receptions for 1,790 receiving yards and 34 total touchdowns. His blazing speed was put on display early and was arguably the most enticing attribute of the slender WR.
College Career
Courtesy of Sports Reference.
Franklin was an immediate contributor as a freshman, something you love to see, and had 18 catches for 209 yards and two touchdowns in his first year on campus.
His second season in Eugene saw a large increase in receiving production thanks to the change at quarterback with Bo Nix coming to town. Franklin improved in every aspect with 61 catches for 891 yards and nine touchdowns as the leading receiver for a Ducks team that went 10-3.
However, his true explosion came in 2023 where he had 81 catches for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns. Everything clicked for Franklin in this Oregon offense and he had a career highs in yards per route run with 3.32, yards after catch per reception with 6.6, and yards per reception with 17.1.
Courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
One of the concerning things from Franklin’s college career is his drop rate. During Franklin’s freshman season in 2021, he had a 14.3% drop rate on only 32 targets. That was much better in 2022 where he only had a 3.2% drop rate. However, that number spiked again in 2023 with the increased workload. This past season he was credited with nine drops and a 10% drop rate.
Strengths
- Elite top-end speed and rumored to have run a 4.35-second 40-yard dash
- Runs routes quickly and precisely
- Excellent release package at the line of scrimmage
- Good with the ball in his hands and picking up yards after the catch
Weaknesses
- Slender frame at 180 pounds causes him to struggle with physical cornerbacks
- His frame has also held him back in contested catch situations where he has only caught 36% of contested targets
- Potential problem with drops that was mentioned above. Impacted by his strength and frame
Draft Value
Courtesy of Mock Draft Database.
Franklin’s NFL Draft value is super interesting compared to the other WRs in this class. There are a lot of tier two and three WRs in this draft class and the majority of them have draft projections with a wide range of outcomes. However, Frankln seems like the only WR in those tiers where mock draft prognosticators agree on his projected capital.
Every mock draft people post on the internet these days has Franklin going somewhere between 27-32 to either the Chiefs, Bills, or Ravens. It seems as if Franklin is a surefire end-of-the-first-round selection, which is obviously gold for dynasty prospects.
Dynasty Outlook
I haven’t had the chance to really break down Franklin’s game in this article as this piece is designed to give you just a first look at a prospect, but I’m a big fan of his. I love his speed, his ability as a down-field threat, and what he can do after the catch with the ball in his hands.
This might seem obvious, but I also really like his anticipated draft capital and landing spot combination. Right now Franklin is projected to go to teams that have solid QBs but major question marks in the receiving rooms. If he ends up in Kansas City or Buffalo then he’s a surefire first-round rookie pick. But even if he doesn’t end up in one of those two spots, I’ll still have Franklin firmly locked into my first round thanks to his speed and ability to make plays after the catch.
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