Broncos stock report: Rookie WR Troy Franklin shows progress vs. Saints

Here’s a look at whose stock improved or declined after the Broncos’ 33-10 win over the Saints on Thursday night.

Stock Up

ILB Cody Barton: Denver’s inside linebacker played the game of his life. Barton recorded eight tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a recovery that resulted in a touchdown during the fourth quarter. Barton played with his hair on fire from the start of the game. With less than four minutes to go in the first quarter, he ran into the backfield undetected by Spencer Rattler and the Saints offensive line before recording a strip-sack. The Broncos’ defense took a big hit in Week 3 when Alex Singleton tore his ACL. Barton, Justin Strnad and now Kwon Alexander — who made his Broncos debut in the win — have done a nice job picking up the slack.

Rushing attack: The Broncos’ run game was a beautiful sight to see. Denver totaled 225 yards on the ground while averaging 6.4 yards per attempt. Javonte Williams had his best performance of the season, rushing for 88 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry — his most in a game since 2021. Quarterback Bo Nix didn’t have any issues using his legs, recording 75 yards on 10 attempts. Jaleel McLaughlin also got in on the action with 35 yards. Denver had 206 rushing yards through three quarters. Granted, not every team will be as bad defensively as the Saints. But if Denver wants to have success offensively the rest of the season, it starts with running the rock.

WR Troy Franklin: The rookie wide receiver’s performance wasn’t earth-shattering, but it showed he is making progress. Franklin had a team-high five catches for 50 yards while averaging 10 yards per reception on six targets. His best play came in the second quarter when Nix rolled to the right before completing a 30-yard pass to Franklin. The catch helped set up Williams’ 8-yard rushing touchdown, which gave Denver a 13-0 advantage. Nix has been eager to get Franklin more involved, and that has shown in the last two weeks.

CB Ja’Quan McMillian: In case anyone forgot, McMillian is pretty good at football. Denver’s nickel cornerback finished with six tackles (two for loss) and showcased his ability as a blitzer in the fourth quarter when he forced Rattler to fumble, resulting in Barton’s scoop-and-score. This season, there’s been so much talk about Pat Surtain II — who was out with a concussion — and the ascent of second-year cornerback Riley Moss. But McMillian, building on his strong play from last season, has also played a major role in the secondary’s success through seven weeks.

Stock Down

Nix’s footwork: Sure, the Broncos won and Nix played well overall. That doesn’t eliminate the need for Nix to improve his footwork in the pocket. He missed out on putting the Broncos in the red zone and maybe recording a passing touchdown on Denver’s first drive because he failed to get his feet properly set, leading to an incomplete pass meant for tight end Lucas Krull. This wasn’t the first time Nix’s footwork has impacted his accuracy. Throughout the season, he has had moments of happy feet in the pocket, leading to missed opportunities in the passing game. Nix has the tools to be a quality quarterback in the league. His footwork has to improve if he wants to reach new heights.

WR Courtland Sutton: Denver’s veteran wideout was a nonfactor in primetime, not recording a single target against New Orleans. Sutton hasn’t been terrible this season. But he hasn’t been great, either. Entering Thursday’s matchup, Sutton averaged 46.2 receiving yards per game with a receiving success rate of 40%. He has averaged 5.9 yards per target — a career low. Sutton still has a knack for making spectacular catches. But he’s not doing that on a weekly basis.

RB Audric Estime: The rookie is fun to watch whenever he’s trucking across the field. He had five carries for 29 yards, including a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter. The issue with Estime is ball security. He has two fumbles on nine attempts this season. Estime fumbled on his first career carry in Week 1. Against the Saints, he lost the ball with 6:17 to go in the fourth quarter, resulting in a turnover.

WR Marvin Mims Jr.: As a returner, Mims is like a 98 overall player in Madden. The same can’t be said about him as a receiver. He had two catches for 18 yards on three targets and hasn’t recorded 20 or more receiving yards in a game since last year’s loss to the Patriots in December. He had a chance to make his stat line a little sweeter, but he dropped Nix’s pass attempt during the final seconds of the first half.

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