Broncos' biggest winner from the preseason couldn't be clearer

One player really stood out in a big way
Denver Broncos WR Troy Franklin
Denver Broncos WR Troy Franklin | Brooke Sutton/GettyImages

The Denver Broncos just completed an undefeated preseason, showing off the depth of the roster in the process. It could be argued that the biggest "winners" of the preseason overall are general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton for showing just how far this team has come in such a short amount of time.

But speaking on Broncos players, one stood out more than the rest throughout the preseason and the entirety of the offseason program. This player may not have posted the most ridiculous stats in the preseason, but he was still undoubtedly the biggest overall "winner" of the preseason.

That player is none other than second-year wide receiver Troy Franklin.

Troy Franklin is Broncos' biggest winner of the preseason

Anytime you get somebody traded who is presumably ahead of you on the depth chart, it's a big win. Franklin entered the offseason program as one of the Denver Broncos' biggest overall question marks, and he left the offseason program as maybe the third receiver on the depth chart behind Courtland Sutton and Marvin Mims Jr.

Franklin's rookie year in Denver was a disappointment, for the most part. The fourth-round pick out of Oregon was teammates with Bo Nix at the college level, and most people expected those two guys to pick up right where they left off in Eugene when they got to the NFL. That did not happen. The chemistry was off between Nix and Franklin, and Franklin struggled with drops.

He did a complete 180 in the 2025 offseason, stacking days and making plays all throughout the offseason program, training camp, and into the preseason.

It was enough of a breakthrough that the Broncos decided to trade away Devaughn Vele, who was one of the leaders on the team last year at receiver in snaps played, targets, receptions, and receiving yards. We saw a lot more from Vele last year than we did Franklin, so it was clear that the front office and coaching staff felt like Franklin had taken that proverbial next step.

Franklin had a pair of touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals in the second preseason game, showing off his vertical speed and his ability to make contested catches. It was as clear of a sign as any of us has seen at this point that he's really grown in his confidence as a player and in his understanding of the Sean Payton offense.

And not only do the Broncos believe they can utilize Franklin as a vertical threat, but Sean Payton said earlier in the offseason that he feels like Franklin may have some untapped potential as a threat after the catch.

There's a lot to like about the receiver position for the Broncos, even though they traded one of their more promising young players. Other young guys have stepped up and have given this team reason to be confident, but the biggest riser in the preseason has got to be Franklin.