Getty Former Oregon WR Troy Franklin.
As the NFL Draft draws ever closer, the Buffalo Bills are taking a closer look at a wide receiver prospect labeled “ultra explosive.”
Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin is expected to visit Buffalo on April 10 and 11 to meet with team officials. In a clip shared on X by Bills reporter Ryan Talbot, Franklin discusses his plans to meet with the Bills over the next two days. Talbot reported that the Bills also held a private workout with the Oregon wide receiver.
#BillsMafia, here’s one for you from Oregon WR Troy Franklin’s (@TroooyyyyyyTroy) vlog on YouTube.
According to the WR, he’s in Buffalo today and tomorrow for a visit. The #Bills reportedly had a private workout with Franklin as well.
YT: VillageBoyTroy
After the trade that shipped No. 1 wide receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, many analysts believe the Bills will target another receiver with their first-round selection and Franklin is a popular pick.
Bills Linked to Oregon Wide Receiver in Mock Draft
Even before the visit this week, some analysts saw Franklin as a good fit for the Bills. Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports predicted in a mock draft that the Bills would grab him with the No. 28 overall pick, adding a big-bodied receiver with the ability to make big plays.
“Franklin is a tall speedster whose numbers increased in each of his three seasons at Oregon,” Trapasso wrote. “There’s some after-the-catch juice to his game too. Precisely what the Bills need offensively.”
Others have pegged Franklin as a late first-round pick. NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah predicted in a January 19 mock draft that the “ultra explosive” pass-catcher would fall to No. 30 overall, going to the Baltimore Ravens.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein compared Franklin’s traits to New Orleans Saints receiver Chris Olave, noting that he projects to become a productive NFL wide receiver.
“Franklin might not get WR1 target volume, but he should be productive with a high yards-per-catch average and the ability to open things up underneath for his teammates,” Zierlein wrote.
Bills Could Make More Dramatic Move in Draft
Jeremiah’s prediction came before the Bills sent Diggs to the Texans and lost No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis in free agency, and some predict a more drastic move from the Bills to fill their empty cupboard in the wide receiver room.
The Athletic’s Joe Buscaglia predicted that the Bills would make a bold move in the draft, moving all the way up to No. 7 to snag LSU pass-catcher Malik Nabers.
“The Bills have one of the best quarterbacks in the league in Josh Allen, a still-talented roster around him, and a pretty good idea that they’ll be pushing for the playoffs at the very least in 2024,” Buscaglia wrote. “By arming him with a young receiver with elite potential on a rookie deal for the next four years, it gives the Bills a lot of flexibility for how they spend through the duration of the receiver’s rookie deal.”
Though Bills general manager Brandon Beane has not been shy about trading up in the first round — doing so in 2022 to grab cornerback Kaiir Elam and again last year to select tight end Dalton Kincaid — the Bills have not selected a receiver in the first round since 2014. In that year, the Bills traded up to No. 4 overall to select wide receiver Sammy Watkins.