After drafting Oregon quarterback Bo Nix in the first round, the mandate to Denver Broncos HQ had to build the nest around it. With limited selections, including no second-rounders, the Broncos had to be patient and use their draft picks wisely.

In the fourth round, the Broncos saw an opportunity to take a wide receiver that some draftniks considered a second-day talent, but he was down a few rounds. The Broncos stopped his slide, selecting Oregon player Troy Franklin with pick 102 in the fourth round, reuniting Nix with their No. 1 college target.

Although Broncos fans were hopeful the Nix-Franklin connection would take off at the next level, the realities of the learning curve and assimilation process both rookies had to endure in training camp and in pre-season have delayed things taking shape. However, despite a forgotten preseason, Franklin made the 53-man roster and eventually found his way into the offense, while Nix was named the Broncos’ starting quarterback before the game. opening of the regular season.

Franklin completed a few passes in Week 3. But it wasn’t until Week 6 that Franklin finally managed to pop his NFL cherry, catching the first touchdown of his career.

Despite some connection failures from Nix and a sharp drop from Franklin, the young wideout continued to gain momentum, even being Denver’s most targeted wideout from Week 5 to Week 7. But Nix and Franklin are clearly working still working to reestablish their chemistry. as part of Sean Payton’s offensive system, which requires mastery of the playbook, and countless hours of rehearsal to get the timing down.

On Friday, Payton toned down any notion that Nix “forced” the ball on Franklin. The head coach lamented Nix’s big knockdown of a wide-open Franklin in Week 9’s 41-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens(on fourth down, no less), focusing more on the collective outlook of the Broncos receiving corps versus the unit’s chemistry with the still-growing rookie quarterback.

“Certainly there are ways to get guys involved early in the game, but in coverage or coverage schemes, I didn’t see Troy’s forced decision,” Payton said. “That’s good. In other words, we’ll feature some plays. Last week we had a zero blitz look, we checked, we blocked it and he got Troy. We just kinda got him subverted, but it was clearly the right reading It was the perfect – when you say the perfect sequence, it had the protection and the confrontation.

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This only further illustrates Payton’s emphasis on how thin Denver’s margin for error is. That’s how it’s done in the NFL. This is doubly true against the AFC’s elite teams.

If Nix hadn’t knocked down Franklin, would that have changed the outcome of the game? Probably not, but you never know.

Analysts have criticized the Broncos’ wide receiver room for lacking talent. It’s hard to refute such claims when players like veteran Lil’Jordan Humphrey are dropping passes and putting the ball on the ground. And it’s not as if Franklin has been impervious to “dropsies” until now, either.

Building the nest around Nix in last April’s draft, the Broncos also took a seventh-round pick on Utah player Devaughn Vele. Although his roster prospects initially seemed low, when the Broncos moved on from Tim Patrick, it created a void that the similarly sized rookie could potentially fill.

Alas, injury and a rookie’s typical trial-and-error learning curve have kept Vele from fully blossoming, until now, but like Patrick, he’s shown a penchant for making difficult catches and moving the chains, putting his large frame on the line to catch passes for his fellow rookie quarterback.

Meanwhile, the chemistry between Nix and Courtland Sutton really started to pick up. With back-to-back 100-yard receiving games, it appears the Nix-Sutton connection is only scratching the surface.

Those guys made a ton of plays,” Payton said. “I think what’s important in this league is not just that chemistry with Courtland, Troy, Vele and ‘LJ’ (Humphrey), it’s got to be or as a unit. It’s always difficult to predict. It’s not as difficult to predict how busy a tight end might be. It’s hard to predict how busy a recipient will be at times.

Based on how the Kansas City Chiefs play, this might not be the week Denver’s wideouts go gangbusters. But watch for high usage of the middle at Arrowhead, whether in the form of receivers, tight ends or running backs catching passes from Nix.

In nine games, Franklin totaled 14 receptions on 27 targets for 135 yards and a touchdown. Watch for him and Nix to make big plays as we move forward into the 2024 season.

If the Broncos fail to win the margin of error battle in Kansas City, this team could be facing a two-game losing streak and a return to the .500 club. Fingers crossed.

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