According to the analytical website PFF.com, the one position that NFL teams will focus on in the first round is wide receiver.
It’s one of the best classes of receiver in quite some time and while quarterbacks are at a premium, they need elite athletes to throw to to make a difference.
In the latest mock NFL draft, PFF projects a total of seven receivers will be selected and one of those ball hawks will be Oregon’s own Troy Franklin. They think the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are high on the 6-foot-3, 187-pounder from East Palo Alto, Calif.
Franklin blossomed as a player in his three seasons as a Ducks and really broke out in 2022 and 2023 with quarterback Bo Nix tossing him the pigskin. In those two seasons, Franklin caught 142 passes for 2,274 yards and 23 touchdowns.
PFF gives Franklin a grade of 84.9 overall and an 87.3 grade for receiving. Overall, he was the No. 29 receiver in the country.
The Buccaneers were in the lower third of the NFL where offense is concerned so it’s no surprise they’ll look for an upgrade in the receiver department and Franklin would certainly fit the bill here.