Broncos' second-year wide receiver has completely shed any negative labels placed on him

Travis Wakeman

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Broncos' second-year wide receiver has completely shed any negative labels placed on him image

The Denver Broncos could not have asked for things to have gone much better between their season-ending loss in last year's playoffs and where things currently stand. 

The team has had a terrific offseason, which has put the franchise back on the map of teams that are contenders. Free agency and the draft both went well for the team, and now Sean Payton has the Broncos in position to make a run. 

Another huge bright spot has been that of a player who was already on the roster, Troy Franklin. Franklin had a quiet rookie season, but he scored the only touchdown in the team's Wild Card loss to Buffalo, ending the season on a high note. 

There were still plenty of fans and those in the media around the league who felt the team got a dud when it traded up to draft Franklin in the fourth round; some of those were even inside Broncos Country.  But it now seems all of that talk can be put to bed. 

READ: Broncos predicted to splurge on top WR target in free agency in 2026

Franklin has stood out this summer, looking like one of the best offensive weapons on the roster in camp. On Saturday night, in the team's 27-7 preseason win over Arizona, he put a stamp on that, catching four passes for 67 yards and scoring two touchdowns. 

Last summer, Franklin fell behind fellow rookie Devaughn Vele in the pecking order and caught just 28 passes on the season. Still, it seemed like his overall talent would eventually shine through, and that is what is beginning to happen. Head coach Sean Payton addressed that following Saturday's game. 

The Broncos have been wondering who would step up and become the team's No. 2 wide receiver behind Courtland Sutton. It seems they have their answer. 

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Travis Wakeman

Travis Wakeman has been covering the NFL since 2012 when he started with Bleacher Report. After reporting about the Broncos there until 2016, he joined the FanSided network as a site expert covering the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers while simultaneously covering the Broncos at Broncos Wire when that site launched. He then took over the Broncos site at FanSided in March 2020 and covered the team there until spring of 2024. A lifelong Broncos fan and fan of the game, Travis is filled with sometimes useless NFL knowledge, but it always serves him well in any trivia contest. You can follow him on Twitter/X @traviswakeman10.