Saints need to avoid this wide receiver prospect at all costs after 2024 NFL Combine

Every year, the scouting combine can either raise or drop prospects’ stocks. Between physical measurements, tests times, on-field drills, and meetings, there are several opportunities for players to either win teams over or push them in a different direction. Unfortunately for a few prospects, the 2024 combine was no different.

Like all teams, the New Orleans Saints went to the combine looking at several positions. One of the top positions of need for New Orleans is wide receiver. Fortunately for the Saints, the 2024 class is deep at wide receiver. However, that doesn’t mean that the team should be happy with any receiver— the combine made that clear.

After the wide receivers worked out at the combine, Oregon wideout Troy Franklin was considered one of the losers of the combine. While he’s clearly a talented player, he’s a prospect New Orleans may want to avoid.

Saints should avoid Troy Franklin after underwhelming combine performance

Franklin started the day great, running a 4.41 40-yard dash. However, there was a bit of concern about his 176-pound weight at 6-foot-2. Still, he had a 39-inch vertical and a 10-foot-4 broad jump. Franklin crushed the testing part of the combine. The concern came from the on-field drills.

In action, Franklin couldn’t keep up with the other top prospects. His speed in a football context, at the combine, didn’t match his 40, he had a few drops, and doing drills alongside other receiver prospects made it seem like Franklin was a tier below.

This isn’t to say that Troy Franklin isn’t talented and won’t thrive in the NFL. He clearly proved he can play football at Oregon, catching 81 passes for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns this past season. However, drops were a concern during his time in college, and that showed up at the combine.

So while Franklin could go on and be productive at the next level, the receiver class is too talented to select him over some of the other guys that may be available for the Saints. That’s especially the case if New Orleans wants to use pick No. 14 on a receiver.

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