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The directive from Denver Broncos HQ following the first-round selection of quarterback Bo Nix from Oregon was to construct a nest around him. Because of their small draft class—which did not include a second-round pick—the Broncos had to exercise patience and make smart decisions with their selections.

The Broncos spotted a wide receiver in Round 4 who had slid a few rounds previously, but whom some draftniks had said would be a Day 2 star. They jumped at the chance to draft him. The Broncos put a stop to his decline when they reunited Nix with his top college target, wide receiver Troy Franklin of Oregon, by picking him with pick 102 in the fourth round.

Despite the high hopes of Broncos supporters, the rookies’ learning curves and integration processes during training camp and the preseason prevented the Nix-Franklin connection from taking off. Franklin, on the other hand, made the 53-man roster and found his footing in the offense despite a lackluster camp, and Nix was named the starting quarterback for the Broncos before the regular season beginning.

Some passes were completed to Franklin in Week 3. Only in Week 6 of the NFL season did Franklin get his big break, scoring his first touchdown catch.

The rookie wide out has been gaining momentum and was Denver’s most-targeted wide receiver from Week 5 through Week 7, despite a few dropped passes by Nix and a nasty drop by Franklin. Still, it’s obvious that Nix and Franklin have a ways to go before they can rekindle their chemistry within Sean Payton’s offensive system. This will need them to study the playbook extensively and practice until they nail the timing.

Speculation that Nix “forced” the ball to Franklin was put to rest by Payton on Friday. Focusing more on the collective vision of the Broncos’ receiving corps relative to the unit’s chemistry with the still-growing rookie quarterback, the head coach regretted Nix’s massive overthrow to a wide-open Franklin in Week 9’s 41-10 defeat to the Baltimore Ravens (on fourth down, no less).

“Certainly, there’s ways to get guys involved early in the game, but within the framework or coverage schemes, I haven’t seen the forced decision to Troy,” said Payton. That’s great. So, we’ll be highlighting specific plays. He has Troy in his possession, and last week we received a blitz-zero look. We checked, and it was blocked. That was obviously the correct read, but we flung it a bit too far. As far as sequences go, it was ideal because it offered both protection and the right matchup.

This adds credence to Payton’s claims that Denver has very little room for mistake. The NFL works like that. When going up against the best teams in the AFC, it is doubly true.

Perhaps the game’s conclusion would have been different if Nix hadn’t deposed Franklin. I really doubt it, but it’s always possible.

The Broncos’ receiving room has been panned by analysts for a lack of quality. Claims like this have been difficult to refute when players like veteran Lil’Jordan Humphrey are slacking off and leaving the ball on the ground. Franklin has also not been immune to the ‘dropsies’ up to this point.

The Broncos stocked up on Nix and Utah wide receiver Devaughn Vele in the April draught of last year. His roster chances looked bleak at first, but the Broncos’ release of Tim Patrick opened a hole that the similarly built youngster could fill.

Unfortunately, Vele hasn’t been able to reach his full potential due to an injury and the normal rookie learning curve, but he has demonstrated a knack for making tough catches and moving the chains, just like Patrick, who is also a rookie quarterback.

At the same time, Nix and Courtland Sutton’s chemistry is heating up. It appears like the Nix-Sutton connection is just getting started, with back-to-back 100-yard receiving performances.

According to Payton, those players have made a lot of plays. What matters most in this league, in my opinion, is not just having good chemistry with Courtland, Troy, Vele, and ‘L.J.’ Humphrey, but also playing well as a team. Predicting it is always a challenge. The availability of a tight end is easier to foretell. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell how busy a receiver might be.

It may not be the week that Denver’s wide receivers have a breakout performance, given the way the Kansas City Chiefs handle coverage. But in Arrowhead, you should expect to see a lot of receivers, tight ends, and running backs catching passes from quarterback Nix in the middle of the field.

Franklin has scored once and accumulated 135 yards and 14 receptions on 27 targets in nine games. Keep an eye out for some major plays from him and Nix as the 2024 season progresses.

A two-game losing run and a return to the.500 club could be in the near future for this team if they are unable to win the margin-of-error battle in Kansas City. Wishing it works.