Jonathan Franklin was a player I heard about through Joe Goodberry, a Bengals draft writer for Cincy Jungle, who was opining about how Franklin was an underrated back. After watching three of his games (vs Rice, Nebraska, and Stanford), I have to agree, although Franklin’s “stock” has been gaining steam as of late.

Johnathan Franklin vs Stanford (courtesy of DraftBreakdown)

Finding comps for Franklin was rather difficult. There were literally 10 or 15 no-name running backs who compared to Franklin, but the one thing they all had in common was a dreadfully slow 3 cone time. I don’t want you to think the comps were cherry-picked, but it seemed unfair to compare him to players who performed so badly in that drill. With that being said, here are a few similar players:

Johnny White has been a practice squad player for his career thus far, although there was some (very slight) dynasty buzz around him last year. Shane Vereen had a slow start to his career, but really came on late last season. Vereen is a better inside runner, and you can see why. He has 5 pounds and 13 reps on Franklin! For reference, top offensive line prospect Matt Kalil did 30 reps last year. Vereen is widely recognized as a talented back by the scouting community, however. Jerome Harrison was exciting for a little bit in 2007 after a 3 game span where he had 561 yards and 5 touchdowns on 106 carries (5.29YPC), but he never really latched on anywhere. He was forced to retire from the NFL after a brain tumor was discovered in a physical. Felix Jones is an interesting comparison for Franklin. Jones is more explosive, faster in the 40 yard dash and the 10 yard split (1.46 vs 1.54), and had better agility measurements. Jones’ problem has never been lack of talent; he’s just lazy (13 bench reps? seriously?! at your pro day?!), and gets injured all the time. Franklin’s biggest problem is his strength (only 18 reps), which is the easiest thing to fix. You can’t make a player faster or quicker while maintaining the same weight, but you can add strength. If Franklin turns out to be a similar to a healthy and motivated Felix Jones, I think owners would be very happy.

Good signs here. White is the least likely comparison, with his slow 3 cone and paltry college production, it’s almost assured that Franklin ends up as a better running back than the former Tar Heel. Felix Jones was incredibly efficient in college, although it is noteworthy that he was a backup to Darren McFadden his entire career. He never had more than 200 carries in a season. Franklin dominated in college very similarly to Harrison, they both had a monster season over 1,700 yards. I’m not sure what to make of that comparison; was Harrison a mediocre running back, or just another player who didn’t get a chance and slipped through the NFL cracks?

Johnathan Franklin vs Nebraska (courtesy of DraftBreakdown)

Franklin will be a good value come draft day. He’ll probably be available for a late 1^st round pick in a rookie dynasty draft, and really, how different is he from projected top 4 pick Giovani Bernard?

Franklin is bigger and slightly faster. Strength is a wash; Bernard looks to be more explosive with better short area quickness. What about production?

Bernard leads Franklin slightly by 0.3YPC, although if you throw out Franklin’s true freshman year where he averaged 4.5 on limited carries, his would be 5.8. The biggest difference here is receptions; Bernard caught 32 more passes in 2 less years of playing time. For me, separating these prospects is like splitting hairs; it’s just a question of who you prefer. I think Franklin’s bigger frame can accommodate some more weight and strength, and that he can become a more powerful inside runner. Bernard’s relative lack of speed compared to his size lowers his ceiling, although I realize that is a view contrary to the mainstream, and I could very well be wrong (you’ll have to wait for my evaluation for more on Bernard). Still, these backs are so close in production, measurements, and film study; they’re likely interchangeable, except you can one will require you to spend a top 4 pick.

Franklin has good vision, and knows how to presses the hole well. I loved his physicality, despite being smallish (5’10” and 205 pounds). Franklin doesn’t shy away from contact, and isn’t afraid to lower his shoulder. He keeps his feet churning and carries defenders for extra yards. There were multiple occasions where 3 or 4 defenders were required to bring Franklin down.

His main problem is that he just isn’t a physical back, though he does have underrated agility. In the 3 games I watched, there were times defensive tackles were in the backfield as he was taking the handoff, and instead of losing 3 or 4 yards, he would gain first downs. UCLA’s line was awful at its best, but he repeatedly made plays when it seemed like he was destined to lose yardage. Franklin can quickly diagnose the defense and find news holes once his original path is disrupted. He’s not a burner, but he has sufficient speed for the NFL.  Franklin displayed exceptional balance, churning his legs and using an arm to get back upright and moving full speed again.

He’s a good pass catcher, uses his hands to secure the ball. He had one bad drop vs Stanford where the ball bounced right off of his hands. UCLA liked to send him on wheel routes to get him the ball in the flat, and he’d use his speed to get down the sideline. There was not much route variance. His Agility Score of 11.2 isn’t elite but it’s still a good number.

Despite all these positives, Franklin is not a perfect back. At times, he can be brought down by his ankles, although his excellent balance usually lets him recover. In the 3 games I watched, I’m not sure he played more than five 3^rd downs. He is, frankly, terrible in pass protection. I’m not sure he can’t be coached up at the next level. He frequently set himself up with good technique, only to dive futilely at the feet of the defender.  The one time I saw him get his hands on a defender, he delivered an alright punch but got pushed back. This is a major concern for his short term fantasy value, as backs who do not pass protect do not play.

Johnathan Franklin Vs. Rice (Video Courtesy of DraftBreakdown)

NFL Draft Outlook: As an NFL GM, I’d be looking for Franklin in the 2^nd or 3^rd if I needed to eject some youth and speed into my backfield (I’m looking at you, Cincinnati). Franklin has 3 down back upside, there’s just that major elephant in the room: pass protection.

Fantasy Outlook: Redrafters: stay away. His lack of pass protection skill with likely keep him from producing in a startable manner his rookie year. For dynasty, this is a guy I’d feel great about taking in the late 1^st. Chances are your team doesn’t suck, and you can afford to have him develop for a few years.