Troy Franklin will catch about 40 more passes this season than he did in 2024. If he has a similar increase in 2026, he just might attain his goal.

“I want to be the best receiver in the league one day,’’ the Broncos second-year man told The Denver Gazette.

That’s lofty talk, but Franklin is making great strides. After being a fourth-round pick by Denver in 2024 out of Oregon, he had an uninspiring rookie season, catching 28 passes for 263 yards with two touchdowns.

But this season Franklin has emerged as the Broncos’ No. 2 receiver behind Courtland Sutton. Entering Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Chargers at Empower Field at Mile High, he has 65 catches for 709 yards and six touchdowns.

“I think I’m doing pretty well in my second year,’’ Franklin said. “Just how I’m helping my team whenever I am on the field. I think I took a big jump from last year and the proof is in the stats and my play.”

Still, Franklin has a long way to go to be talked about as one of the top receivers in the NFL. What makes him think he can get there?

“I did it in college,’’ Franklin said. “I was the best receiver in college, one of the best receivers in college. … I just got to keep being consistent and let the time come.”

Franklin spent three seasons at Oregon, the last two with Bo Nix throwing him the ball. The two were reunited last season on the Broncos, with Nix being taken with the No. 12 pick in the draft.

Just like he has in the NFL, Franklin showed great improvement from his first college season to his second. He caught 18 passes for 209 yards in 2021, 61 for 891 in 2022 and 81 for 1,383 yards in 2023 with 14 touchdowns.

Still, Franklin slipped to the No. 102 overall pick in the fourth round. He has continued to have that chip on his shoulder.

“Most definitely,’’ he said. “You always want to prove the people wrong that are doubting you.”

Franklin didn’t prove many wrong last season. He doesn’t deny it was a trying year, but things have been coming together this season.

“Just being in the offense for a second year, being more comfortable with the play calling, knowing how (coach) Sean (Payton) likes things,’’ he said. “Some guys can come in and have 1,000-yard seasons and just have a great year, but it’s a learning process for sure.”

It indeed can be. Rod Smith, the leading receiver in Broncos history, spent his rookie year of 1994 on the practice squad and had six catches in 1995 before going on to have eight 1,000-yard years and seasons of 100 and 113 receptions.

Payton shrugged off questions before the start of the season about who might emerge as the No. 2 receiver, with third-year man Marvin Mims Jr. also a strong candidate. But Franklin has nearly double the catches of Mims, who has 35 although he missed two games due to injury.

“A lot of times in some college offenses, guys play just outside,’’ Payton said of why Franklin had growing pains as a rookie before taking a big step this season. “Some guy just plays right and left. The route tree may or may not be as complex (in college).”

Even though he’s grasping the offense more, Franklin still is far from reaching his goal of greatness. But he doesn’t back off from wanting to be the best.

“I just got to keep stacking it up and just progressing,’’ he said.

The 1980 Browns and 2025 Broncos

In 1980, Dave Logan was a key wide receiver on the “Kardiac Kids,’’ the Cleveland team that went 11-5, with nine of the wins by seven points or less.

The Browns throughout that season won in dramatic fashion with late rallies. Now, Logan, Denver’s longtime radio play-by-play announcer, sees similarities to that team and this season’s Broncos. Entering Sunday’s finale, the Broncos are 13-3, with 11 of their wins coming in one-score games.

“I played on one team a long time ago that had this kind of season,’’ Logan said. “It’s a powerful thing. You just have the utmost confidence that no matter what the circumstance of the game is, no matter what happens, we’re going to find a way to win this game. And you can’t bottle it and you can’t order it online. It’s a feeling that is earned over time by a group of men who have found a variety of ways to win games.”

Logan, though, hopes Denver’s season doesn’t end the way Cleveland’s did. The Browns lost their playoff opener 14-12 at home to the Oakland Raiders when quarterback Brian Sipe, the NFL MVP that season, threw a last-second interception in the end zone.

“You’ve got to be fully aware of the opportunity in front of you,” said Logan, a former Colorado star, who played for the Browns from 1976-83 before finishing his career with a four-game Broncos stint in 1984.

Logan called it important that the Broncos win Sunday to secure the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed and a first-round playoff bye. They would need then to win two playoff games at home to advance to Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb. 8.

What I’m hearing

—The official NFL All-Pro Team will be announced Saturday. Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey said left tackle Garett Bolles should be on the first team. “He’s obviously a fantastic player,’’ McGlinchey said. “I think the film speaks for itself. I’m excited for the season that he’s had.” Bolles already has made the Pro Bowl Games for the first time in his nine-year career. “You can never stop improving,’’ McGlinchey said of Bolles. “You’re either getting better or getting worse. There’s no staying the same in this league and he’s gotten a lot better.”

—After the Broncos took cornerback Jahdae Barron with the No. 20 pick in last April’s draft, the Austin, Texas, native said quarterback Sam Ehlinger “was always my G.O.A.T. growing up watching him.” He said he attended Ehlinger’s games at Austin’s Westlake High School and at Texas before joining him on the Longhorns for the 2020 season. Ehlinger said it’s been great being reunited with Barron this season. “He stayed at my house for a while (during spring drills) before he had a house,’’ Ehlinger said. “So we got to spend time together there. I‘m excited for him. He’s going to be a good player.”

What I’m seeing

—It would take a mammoth effort in Sunday’s finale for Mims to lead the NFL in punt-return average for a second straight season. Mims, who had a league-high 15.7 average in 2024, is averaging 15.4 this season on 27 returns and is the leader with 416 return yards. However, Tennessee wide receiver Chimere Dike is averaging 17.7 yards on 22 returns and New England cornerback Marcus Jones is averaging 17.3 on 21 returns. On kickoff returns, Mims is averaging 26.3 yards on 25 attempts, but he is well behind NFL leader Ray Davis. The Buffalo running back is averaging 30.7 yards per return.

—Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto said before the season a goal was to have more sacks than the 13.5 he had in 2024. The four-year veteran has a team-high 12.5 sacks, so he needs 1.5 Sunday to set a new career high. Broncos defensive lineman John Franklin-Myers, in his eighth season, already has set a career high with 7.5 sacks. That tops the 7.0 he had last season for Denver.