Orlando Franklin

Orlando Franklin

College:  Miami (FL)

Age:  23 years old

Experience: Senior (5 years)

Starts at LT:   13 games

Starts at LG:  25 games

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Height:  6 feet 6 inches

Weight:  316 lbs.

Arm Length:  35.0 inches

Hand Width:  11.13 inches

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Projection:  Right Tackle (Offensive Guard)

Projected Round:  2nd – 5th Round

Combine Results (Pro Day Results)

40 Yard Dash:  5.20 seconds

3-Cone Drill:

20-Yard Shuttle:

Bench Press:  26 reps

Vertical Jump:  38.5 inches

Broad Jump:

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Speed: Despite having a very respectable 5.2 second 40 yard dash, Franklin is not considered overly fast in any part of the game. His down-field speed is considered “average,” and Miami avoided pulling him at guard to block on running plays due to his lack of speed. He only partially participated in the Combine, so it is difficult to gauge everything based upon his results. As with all prospects, Pro-Day results will help shed more light on him and his potential.

Agility: According to scouting profiles, Franklin isn’t skilled at moving laterally. His performance dipped noticeably when he was moved to left tackle as a senior after performing rather well at left guard for the first part of his career.  Much of that drop has been credited to his overall lack of lateral quickness to match up against fast edge rushers. Since he didn’t run any agility drills at the combine, this perception can’t really be measured, but results from his Pro-Day will answer that question. That said, he has shown an aptitude for “kick-sliding,” a technique and positional drill for offensive tackles that indicates their ability to get out of their initial stance and slide into position to protect the edge. 

Experience: Franklin was one of the top offensive line prospects out of high school, but has been slow to develop. He was generally effective at left guard, but suffered a bit from the transition to left tackle. One of the major criticisms of Franklin centers on his ability to absorb information and adapt. He struggled as a freshman to win the starting LG spot outright, and showed a propensity to develop slowly in a position. Despite being an entrenched starter at LG as a sophomore, Franklin continued to struggle in numerous aspects of his game, and didn’t really develop consistency in most aspects of his game until his junior year. Combined with his significant drop off when moving to tackle from guard has raised flags on his ability to play immediately. At times his football IQ has been called into question after bouts of serious inconsistency, but he has generally been able to recover from criticism and seems to use it as fuel to step up and prove someone wrong.

Size/Build: Franklin has a large build that belies his weight. He looks heavier than he is, but he still retains a fair amount of strength naturally. His 26 reps on the bench press aren’t overly impressive, but he has show an ability to hold his own on the interior of the offensive line. He may be able to be utilized as an offensive tackle, but he seems more comfortable as a guard, letting his natural size and strength take over without focusing on the edge. He shows very good body control as an interior lineman as well, getting very low to overpower bigger and stronger defensive tackles through leverage. Franklin also has a very powerful initial hit which helps him knock even stout defensive linemen off their mark.

Pass Blocking: As an offensive tackle, Franklin is currently lacking as a pass blocker. He does not have the position really figured out, and with no experience on the right side, he could stumble through another position change before catching his feet and starting to excel. He has very good strength through his whole body, though making him a high potential prospect at right tackle. With good instruction on fundamentals in agility, he could likely develop into a more refined player in the vein of Gabe Carimi. He has had serious problems in the past with being slow off the snap leading to him getting beaten quite badly on the edge at tackle. This is the main reason that has been speculated as to why he was held at left guard for so long. He will have to continue to improve the initial reaction to the snap to stay with NFL caliber left ends.

Run Blocking: Like Gabe Carimi, Franklin is considered a better run blocker than pass blocker. Partially due to his lack of agility, Franklin finds it easier to hit a defensive lineman on a rushing play, and has the natural posture and stance to gain leverage on much smaller defenders. Showed a knack for dislodging larger and stronger defensive tackles as a left guard, and his slow snap reaction helped him trap edge rushers on a number of occasions. He has all the physical tools to excel as a run blocker, but he will have to continue to work to improve his reaction to the snap. He may develop faster with NFL motivation. He tended to be able to seriously step up his game when matched against much more dominant defenders, and so challenges in the NFL may bring out the best in him sooner.

Health: Franklin is another generally durable offensive tackle prospect who has had no significant medical issues. He was ineligible to play in 2006 due to poor academics in high school and not as a physical development or due to injury. His lack of participation in the Combine does not seem to be the result of an injury, but simply a desire to limit his performances to exposures he has more control over. This has become a rather common practice for candidates who feel they will perform significantly better in their home environment than at the Combine.

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OVERVIEW: Franklin has the potential to be a stud interior lineman or even a good right tackle, but concerns about his development up until now, and how long it will take him to reach his potential are going to set of major warnings for the Colts who are looking for a fairly rapid and lasting upgrade on the offensive line. If this had been previous years, the Colts may have been content to take him and wait two or three years for him to really step into his anticipated role, but the current philosophy may not allow for that kind of learning curve. Franklin could be taken as early as the late second round, but he could also fall well into the 5th round. At this point, unless he begins showing serious potential in interviews, it may be that the Colts will take a pass on him unless he falls into the second half of the draft. That said, if the popular philosophy comes to pass for the Colts draft this year, Bill and Chris Polian may not have any use for another offensive lineman in the fifth round. Franklin will remain an option going forward, though, especially if there is a serious run on offensive tackles in the first round and the Colts cannot secure an immediate starter at LT. Franklin would be a solid mid-late round pick to bolster the line if the offensive line cannot be addressed until the later rounds.