Troy Franklin was selected by the Denver Broncos on Saturday, so he will join up with a familiar face, but he had to wait a little longer than he had anticipated.
Franklin, an East Palo Alto native who attended Menlo-Atherton and Oregon for his college career, was selected early on Day 3 of the fourth round, at position 102 overall. In the first round on Friday, Denver selected Bo Nix, Franklin’s college quarterback, with the 12th overall pick.
“At this point, I’m at a loss for words,” Franklin said to reporters in Denver. “He eases the receivers’ workload. That right there is my dude.
Franklin, who was formerly predicted to be a second- or third-round choice, finished the 2017 season with 81 receptions for 1,383 yards and a 17.1 average, along with 14 touchdowns.
Franklin told reporters, “I think all the components of my game are pretty sharp.” “I think I’m capable of anything.”
Security The Green Bay Packers selected Evan Williams, Franklin’s Oregon teammate who attended nearby St. Francis High in Mountain View, in the fourth round, with pick No. 111 overall.
Sione Vaki, who played safety and running back at Utah, was also taken on Saturday. The Detroit Lions selected Vaki as a running back in the fourth round, selecting him at No. 132 overall. Vaki played at Brentwood’s Liberty High School.
In the sixth round, Miami selected Cal defender Patrick McMorris with selection No. 198 overall. Joshua Karty, a Stanford place kicker, was selected by the Los Angeles Rams at pick No. 209 in the same round.
Franklin, a Menlo-Atherton four-star prospect, had his senior season canceled by the epidemic, but he still finished high school with 102 catches for 1,790 yards and 34 touchdowns.
Courtland Sutton, the best receiver for Denver with 59 receptions for 772 yards and 10 touchdowns, was the focus of trade rumors prior to the draft but is still a member of the team. Playing time may become available right away after No. 2 receiver Jerry Jeudy was sold to Cleveland for fifth and sixth round draft selections.
Franklin, who weighs 176 pounds and is just under 6-foot-2, has a tiny physique but lightning-fast speed. In his junior year of 2023, he dropped nine passes in 13 games, indicating an intermittent problem with the pass.
Russell Wilson, the starting quarterback for the Broncos, was cut because he didn’t mesh well with Sean Payton, the new coach. Nix in the quarterback room and veteran reserve Jarrett Stidham, a former No. 2 overall choice of the New York Jets, will accompany Denver to training camp. Nix would be anticipated to take the starting job at some point in the season, if not right away, considering his draft status.
Denver offers Franklin the chance to train with Payton, one of the NFL’s top offensive coordinators.
Williams, 5-11, 206, spent four seasons at Fresno State playing in 52 games with 48 starts. He told reporters why he thought he was a good fit for the Packers after playing for Oregon the previous season.
Williams stated, “A lot of the staff coaches just pointed to my motor and how hard I’m going on every play.” “Although I don’t like to boast, I believe that my superior ball skills combined with my tendency to cause chaos around the ball elevated me significantly on their list of priorities.”
The Los Gatos native was a proficient blitzer who finished with five tackles for losses, four and a half sacks, and a spot on the All-Pac 12 second team.
“He’s a good kid, smart, instinctive, and a tackler,” national scout for Green Bay Sam Seale said to reporters. He’s a wonderful guy, so I think he’ll fit in our locker room. He won’t be a concern for us.
In addition to playing safety for Cal from 1981 to 1985, Williams’ father Garey was a member of the kickoff return squad for “The Play” against Stanford in 1982. The five lateral passes that led to Kevin Moen’s game-winning score were not given to him.
Vaki, a 49ers fan from his youth, played running back and safety for Utah the previous season, but several teams considered him a defensive prospect. In order to acquire him, the Lions traded up to pick number 132, handing Philadelphia picks Nos. 164 and 201 along with a fourth-round pick in 2025. In the exchange, Detroit also received back pick No. 210.
Vaki told reporters, “I assumed it was for the offensive side of the ball because when I came in, I met with the running backs coach and the (offensive) coordinator.” “Being unsure of which teams or which side I would be picked for made me nervous, but I’m glad I came to the Motor City and got started.”
In 12 starts at safety last season, Vaki recorded 51 tackles, two sacks, and an interception. Vaki saw action as a wildcat quarterback and fill-in running back. He caught 11 passes for 203 yards (18.5 yards per catch) and averaged 7.5 yards per rush (317 yards on 42 carries) with two touchdowns.
Vaki played receiver for Liberty in 2018, winning the school’s first Division I-A championship and going 13-1. As a senior, he caught 70 passes for 1,393 yards and 20 touchdowns, earning him the Bay Area News Group’s Offensive Player of the Year award.
With the Lions boasting the fifth-best rushing assault in the NFL with the return of running backs David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs, he will primarily be used on special teams.
McMorris, who transferred from San Diego State to play at Cal in 2023, finished his Bears career with 13 games played, 4 1/2 tackles for losses, and five passes defensed. McMorris participated in 55 collegiate games overall, 40 of which he started.
Karty made 23 of 27 field goals during his final year at Stanford, including 4 of 7 from 50 yards or more, with a long of 56. In addition, he completed all 21 of his extra-point tries and is capable of leading the Rams in kickoffs.
With Brett Favre and Lucas Havrisik, the Rams had trouble making place kicks in 2023, making only 32 of 43 attempts (74.4 percent). Karty finished his final two years at Stanford with a 91.1 percent conversion rate.
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