The Indianapolis Colts spent their last two picks in the 2018 NFL Draft on the linebacker position, which included Zaire Franklin rounding out the class.
A Syracuse product, Franklin was taken with the Colts’ final pick of the draft, which came at No. 235 overall. A high-character prospect, Franklin played the majority of his snaps on special teams during his rookie season.
Franklin appeared in all 16 games but only made two starts. He recorded 29 tackles (14 solo) and one pass defended.
Franklin only played 16.8 percent of the defensive snaps throughout the 2018 season, fourth-most among Colts linebackers. He did, however, play 52.2 percent of the special teams snaps, which was sixth-most on the team.
A young and athletic linebacker, Franklin is at the bottom of the linebacker depth chart to begin the offseason, but his special teams work and high-character make him a solid fit for the defense.
He’s still likely a special teams player barring any major improvement, but Franklin will continue to compete as a depth player in the linebacker room.
