The Denver Broncos are dealing with some injuries at the wide receiver position and it could be the perfect opportunity for rookie wide receiver Troy Franklin to see his first regular season action on Sunday when the team hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Denver Broncos rookie WR Troy Franklin could debut vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
One outlet that could help Denver Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix find some rhythm on Sunday against T.J. Watt and the Pittsburgh Steelers could be his favorite college target Troy Franklin. Franklin and Nix’s Oregon connection saw them connect on 142 catches, 2274 yards, and 23 touchdowns in the two seasons they played together in Eugene.
Franklin hasn’t taken a single snap yet in the regular season after one week of play and was a gameday inactive last week against the Seattle Seahawks. That could change today with Denver dealing with some injuries at the position.
Rookie wide receiver Devaughn Vele has already been ruled out for today’s game. He suffered a rib injury in Sunday’s loss to the Seahawks and missed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday’s practice.
Veteran receiver Josh Reynolds has been battling Achilles soreness that has flared up from time to time since OTAs, and that could be something that impacts him during Sunday’s game despite him returning to practice fully on Friday. It’s worth monitoring, especially if it lingers.
That leaves Denver’s active roster with Courtland Sutton, Reynolds, Marvin Mims, and Franklin on the active roster. Denver elevated only one wide receiver from the practice squad to their gameday roster, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who was activated last week as well.
While T.J. Watt and the Steelers’ defense will present a challenge to Nix and Sean Payton, Denver has to be able to pass the football effectively, and size alone isn’t going to get the job done. Hopefully, Mims sees more than one target this afternoon. He and Franklin’s speed could help add a little sprinkle or spark into Denver’s offense this week.
