Cleveland Browns may have an idea of who they want to select in next week’s NFL Draft, but they’re going to have to wait to see how the board falls with no first-round pick.
It makes it much more important that the Browns maximize each one of the six selections they have.
One player the Browns may be keying in on is Oregon WR Troy Franklin, who is quite the playmaker. He is also one of the more polarizing prospects in the entire class.
College coach keeps it real about Oregon WR Troy Franklin
"He's pretty good," a Pac-12 defensive coordinator said via ESPN. "He was just in a conference where there were 10 very, very good receivers. Maybe systematically because of how they were, he may not have gotten the highlights like other guys, but we knew he had skill better than other guys."
The PAC-12 is going to put out some pretty good wideouts this draft class. Washington is going to have three selected themselves and USC will have a pair. Franklin should be right there in the mix with the best the conference has to offer following the top prize Rome Odunze.
Some believe that Franklin is a first-round talent, while others are low on the Oregon product. There are worries that Franklin’s 183-pound build at 6-foot-3 won’t be able to hold up long-term.
Still, Franklin offers 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash and is a fluid route runner who gets open with ease. Franklin can outrun defenses with the ball in his hands and he’s a down-the-field target at his height.
It may take an early second-round pick to get Franklin. The Browns have already met with him and shown interest, so perhaps they’re ready to do that if he slides enough. It also helps when teams he used to cause havoc against are coming forward and saying how good he is.
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