Broncos would be making huge mistake giving up on struggling rookie in 2025

In an era all about instant gratification, I want to zig while many others are zagging and make the case as to why the Denver Broncos should absolutely not give up on rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin.

Franklin was a 4th-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft and the Broncos apparently had a 2nd-round grade on him. The only reason Denver didn't take Franklin with their 3rd-round pick on Franklin when they had the chance was because they had a higher grade on Jonah Elliss off the edge. But it kept Sean Payton up overnight going from Day 2 to Day 3 of the 2024 NFL Draft that Franklin was still sitting on the board, and he convinced GM George Paton to trade up to take the former Oregon star.

The issues that plagued Franklin at times at the collegiate level were exacerbated in Denver because unlike at Oregon, Franklin wasn't receiving an extremely high volume of targets to "make up" for his missed opportunities in the NFL. We saw a number of mis-timed plays all throughout the year from quarterback Bo Nix and his old Ducks teammate Franklin, which was one of the biggest shocks of the year.

Everyone figured that if Franklin made his way onto the field as a rookie, he would almost assuredly have chemistry with Nix.

That's why it was pure catharsis when Franklin caught the deep ball touchdown against the Buffalo Bills to put the Broncos up 7-0 in the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs. Broncos Country had been hoping to see a play like this all year long, and it finally happened.

Broncos need to invest in WR Troy Franklin's development for 2025, not give up on him

Shockingly, this was not only a moment of catharsis for Broncos fans who have been waiting all year for the Nix-to-Franklin connection, but it was also a moment of NFL history. There has never been a rookie-to-rookie connection in the NFL playoffs until Nix hit Franklin for six.

Troy Franklin absolutely had his share of struggles this past season. Between dropped passes and other errors on the field, it's not going to be easy to convince Broncos Country that he deserves a prominent spot in the offense next season, but there were a lot of fans chiming in on Twitter/X saying that the team should cut him this offseason.

I don't think that's a good idea at all. If you're not producing at the Malik Nabers/Brock Bowers/Ladd McConkey level as a rookie, you're getting dumped the next year by the fan base. It's the unfortunate reality of the apparent need for instant gratification but the Denver Broncos have heavily prioritized young player development and I don't see that changing going forward.

The Broncos allowed Franklin to take plenty of lumps as a rookie, and he's got to grow from that. If he can't improve in year two, then maybe there is a discussion about his future. But this is a 6-foot-3 receiver who might be one of the fastest guys on the team. It would benefit the Broncos tremendously if he could realize his potential and grow as a player.

The Broncos need to invest in Franklin's development and make sure he and Bo Nix are on the same page more often than not in 2025. If that happens, he can help take this offense to another level.