Panthers punter Johnny Hekker told me last season that Sam Franklin Jr. should have been in the Pro Bowl due to how well he played on special teams throughout the 2022 season.
"The guy, he's incredible. He makes plays. He gets doubled. He draws penalties in the doubles and still beats them and gets up and makes plays. It's really stuff that you've seen when you watch Matthew Slater tape and Matthew Slater has been to Pro Bowl after Pro Bowl. Sam is kind of carrying that badge of honor for us and he's working his tail off for every bit of success he's gotten. I'm just proud of him and the mantle that he's taken on himself to be a special teams leader for us and he's producing at a really high level."
We saw glimpses of what he could do playing the safety position on defense, but had limited action on that side of the ball. During OTAs and training camp, Franklin made several plays on the ball and pulled down a handful of interceptions. In Saturday's preseason opener against the New York Jets, he picked off third-string QB Tim Boyle and nearly returned it for six.
"Man, I got tackled by the quarterback," Franklin said with a laugh. "I didn't even get on the sideline and celebrate without hearing it. I got to score right there. That's a big game-changing play. Catching the pick is not enough. And on defense, we got to score [there] to get our offense a little more boost, a little more confidence. We got to score right there."
This offseason the Panthers added Jammie Robinson in the draft and signed veteran safeties Vonn Bell and Eric Rowe to go with Xavier Woods and the versatile Jeremy Chinn. It's a much deeper group than they had a year ago, so Franklin knows he's got to make the most of his opportunities on defense which is why he was so upset that he didn't take that pick to the house.
"It's a huge accomplishment," said of the interception. "I've been putting in a lot of work over these last couple years just to be ready whenever my coaches need me. That's what I pride myself on is just being ready when my number is called."
Franklin may or may not develop into a starting safety over time, but he is someone the Panthers are high on and believe can be a factor on defense in some capacity.
"He's a playmaker. I mean, he's athletic," head coach Frank Reich said. "He has a knack for making plays. He's really a unique and gifted special teams player, but really our challenge to him was to kind of step up his game on defense and become that player on defense as well. So, a lot of respect to Sam for the way he's handling his business."
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