Troy Franklin was the target of a few heated words from John Morton, the Denver Broncos passing game coordinator, during a practice this week.

Morton reportedly was riding rookie wide receiver hard, but Denver head coach Sean Payton said the team’s fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft should be happy because if Morton is yelling at him, that means he sees talent and potential.

“He stays on most of them. He stays on most of them. He coaches them hard, he coaches them with love because he sees what they have. It’s Troy today, but he’s an equal opportunity…” Payton told reporters. “He’s teaching all the time. I’ve been with him a long time, and I like hearing it. I like hearing it from a coach with passion because I think the players do as well. It’s when it gets quiet and no one’s talking to you is when you have to begin to worry.”

The Broncos certainly believe Franklin possesses talent and they want to tap into his potential. That’s why they traded up to select Franklin in the draft.

Franklin hasn’t done anything to change Payton’s opinion about him. Payton said he’s noticed things about Franklin during offseason workouts and minicamps that confirmed what he thought before the draft.

“You see outside, you see speed, you see playmaking down the field. There are certain routes that you see that are strong suits,” Payton told reporters. “I do feel [a] good football I.Q. with that player, and that’s encouraging. He’s continuing to get stronger.”

Though he’s just a rookie and hasn’t played a snap of football at the NFL level yet, the Broncos seem to think Franklin could be a contributor right away.