ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Troy Franklin keeps making plays, and Denver’s coaching staff has taken notice.
As the Broncos held their final open practice before heading to the Bay Area to face off against the 49ers, Franklin was a frequent target on Day 10 of training camp.
The second-year receiver caught an impressive touchdown from Bo Nix in the back corner of the end zone in 7-on-7 action, and he later added multiple catches in a move-the-ball drill. The final catch of the morning’s session appeared to be a diving grab of more than 20 yards to push Denver’s starting offense down the field.
“Guys mature as they get more experience,” Offensive Coordinator Joe Lombardi said. “He’s certainly playing faster and making more plays. We’re real excited about him. He’s really stood out.”
Head Coach Sean Payton said Friday that Franklin is working at both the “Z” receiver position, as well as in the slot, and he said Franklin is “much more versed” in both the system and the routes.
“As a rookie, you really want to nail down on one position,” Lombardi added Tuesday. “Now that he’s got that, he’s working in the slot a little bit, and that gives him some more flexibility of what we can do with him. He’s really been doing a great job with all of that.”
Lombardi also credited Franklin for being a physical blocker and said he gives “a lot of effort in that phase of the game.”
When you add that to his route-running and production from the first 10 practices of training camp, it certainly adds up.
“It’s been a really good camp for him,” Lombardi said.
… Rookie running back RJ Harvey received a noticeable workload on Tuesday, and he seemed to post several solid carries. On one rep, he showed his cutback ability to break free to the second level.
“As the offensive line just continues to get better, we’ve added some runners we’re really excited about, so we certainly expect to make a jump in the running game,” Lombardi said.
… Defensive lineman Zach Allen has been a consistent playmaker during training camp, and Defensive Coordinator Vance Joseph believes the second-team All-Pro took another leap during his 2024 season.
“I think Zach’s grown every single year,” Joseph said. “As he’s gotten and bigger as a player, he’s played the run game better. He’s always been a pretty good pass rusher, but the run game stuff has gotten a lot better. And obviously, he’s played a bunch of football. His football IQ is very, very high. You can game-plan around Zach. He can call the games up front. Third-down stuff, he calls it for us. His IQ and how hard he plays is his calling card. He’s always been a great player, but with more strength and more experience, he is truly special.”
… The Broncos are poised to take part in their first joint practice of 2025 training camp as they travel to face the 49ers.
“I’m excited about San Fran,” Joseph said. “That one practice for us is going to be exciting to see different looks. That offense is obviously a top-five offense. It’ll be fun to go against that type of unit this weekend.”
