The Denver Broncos made a splash on Saturday by trading up to select Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Selected with the 102nd overall pick, Franklin will see a familiar face in the Broncos’ first-round selection: his Oregon quarterback, Bo Nix.
“It is very great to be back with my guy who I played with in college,” Franklin said of Nix, who was taken by Denver with the 12th overall pick of the draft Thursday.
The Broncos acquired the 102nd pick from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for the 121st, 136th and 207th overall selections. Denver also received the 235th pick as part of the deal.
“Man, (I’m) just feeling the joy,” Franklin said of his initial reaction to being selected by the Broncos. “I’m relaxed now. Just wanted to get my name called. Just a blessed feeling. Great to be selected. I don’t even know what to say right now. It’s just a dream come true. So glad somebody gave me a chance. The Broncos gave me a chance to go out there, showcase my talent, do whatever I need to do to help the team.”
Franklin recorded Oregon single-season records in receiving yards (1,383), receiving touchdowns (14) and 100-yard receiving games (eight) to go along with his 81 catches in 2023. He also had 4.41 time in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Franklin was the first of five Oregon players to be drafted in the fourth round. The Minnesota Vikings chose cornerback Khyree Jackson at No. 108, the Atlanta Falcons selected defensive tackle Brandon Dorius with the next pick, the Green Bay Packers took safety Evan Williams at No. 111 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected running back Bucky Irving at No. 125.
Nix was the last quarterback taken in the draft through the completion of the fourth round. South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler was taken by the New Orleans Saints with the No. 150 pick in the fifth round.
Also in the fourth round, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took to the draft stage to reveal the Detroit Lions’ selection with the No. 126 pick. She used the chance to announce that Detroit had broken the record for draft attendance, set in 2019 in Nashville, Tenn., when 600,000 people attended.
“We have shown the world what the Motor City is all about,” Whitmer said. “700,000 and counting.”
For the record, the Lions selected 6-foot-8, 350-pound offensive tackle Giovanni Manu of British Columbia.
After the Saints broke the quarterback drought with Rattler, the New York Jets followed suit 21 picks later by selecting Florida State product Jordan Travis, a happy ending of sorts for Travis, who famously broke his leg late in the 2023 season for the undefeated Seminoles, a happenstance that was used as justification for keeping FSU out of the College Football Playoff.
The next quarterbacks taken came off the board in the sixth round and were Tennessee’s Joe Milton III at No. 193 — the second quarterback taken by the New England Patriots this draft after Drake Maye was chosen in the first round No. 3 overall — and Devin Leary (Kentucky) at No. 218 overall by the Baltimore Ravens.
Tulane’s decorated Michael Pratt followed in the seventh round as the final passer chosen when the Packers selected him No. 245 overall.
Prior to that at No. 225, another notable name taken was taken when the Los Angeles Chargers picked Southern California wide receiver Brenden Rice, the son of Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.
The Philadelphia Eagles matched a modern NFL Draft record (since 1990) by completing eight draft trades, with their final trade moving them into the No. 190 spot to take NC State center Dylan McMahon. For their efforts, the Eagles acquired third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks for 2025.
Mr. Irrelevant was Alabama safety Jaylen Key, taken by the Jets with the 257th and final selection of the draft.
National champion Michigan (13), playoff teams Texas (11), Alabama (10) and Washington (10), as well as Florida State (10) were the schools with the most players selected.
Green Bay will host the 2025 event.
