If the Baltimore Ravens want to maximize Lamar Jackson’s potential and help him win his first Super Bowl, adding another weapon should be one of their top goals this offseason. Troy Franklin, a receiver for Oregon, has the potential to make an already great offense even more difficult to defend. Franklin, who made the All-Pac-12 first team in 2023, said he’d be excited to play alongside Jackson and that they’d both make their jobs simpler.
“It’d be cool to play with Lamar,” Franklin added. “I grew up watching him, too. He’s a speedy, evasive guy, and I can also aid him a lot. I can make his job easier, and he can do the same for mine. During his junior season with the Ducks, the 6-foot-1, 176-pound receiver caught 81 passes for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also ran a 4.41 40-time at the NFL Scouting Combine. That time is 0.01 seconds faster than the Ravens’ first-round pick last season, Zay Flowers.
He’s also a far bigger target than Flowers, who stood 5-foot-9 at the combine last year, while weighing 182 pounds more than Franklin. In picking a player like Franklin, the combination of his speed and Flowers’ stature allows them to accomplish a little bit of everything. Baltimore should not be afraid to do whatever it takes to enhance its receiving corps this summer, even if it means selecting a player like Franklin in the first round for the second consecutive year.