Green Bay Packers beat writer Paul Imig will be analyzing the 25 most important players to the Packers' success in the 2013 season. Check back each day to see the latest player on the list.
Note: This is not a list of the team's 25 best players or a series about past success, but rather which of them means the most to how Green Bay will fare this year. Criteria such as depth at that player's position, general expectations and overall importance of that player having a good season are all highly considered.
23 (turns 24 in October) / Rookie
Franklin is important to the Packers this season in two ways: As a running back and as a possible punt / kick returner.
In the running game, Franklin will have a chance to become the starter. If Franklin does win that job, he'd become a lot more important than this No. 25 ranking. But he'll have a lot of competition, most notably from fellow rookie Eddie Lacy, who was drafted 64 spots higher. However, Franklin will also have to beat out holdovers DuJuan Harris, James Starks and Alex Green.
Following the final OTA practice in June, quarterback Aaron Rodgers commented that Franklin is "a potentially three-down back." That's a characteristic that coach Mike McCarthy said during the Scouting Combine was something he wanted to have. Becoming that three-down running back would be a tremendous accomplishment for Franklin, even if it takes until Year 2 or 3 of his career to do it.
Franklin is also one of few players on the roster who can say Ted Thompson traded up for them in the draft. Thompson doesn't give away extra draft picks without very good reason, so it's an indication of how much Green Bay's front office and coaching staff believe in Franklin.
On offense, Franklin needs to at least become a role player. Earning 20-25 snaps per game is a reasonable expectation. If Franklin can carve out a niche for McCarthy to work with, it would be very valuable to the offense's ability to keep opposing defenses guessing. Finishing the season with 125 carries for 500 rushing yards (4.0 average) and a few touchdowns would qualify as a fairly successful rookie year.
On special teams, Franklin needs to prove himself immediately in training camp so that McCarthy can remove Randall Cobb from that role. Franklin was already working with the return group (alongside Cobb, Jordy Nelson, Jeremy Ross and Tramon Williams) during minicamp and in OTA practices, which is a good first step for him. McCarthy wants Cobb off special teams. Rodgers wants Cobb off special teams. Even Cobb himself stated in September 2012 that he eventually wanted off special teams (though Cobb has softened his stance since). If Franklin can win that job and be dependable all year (in a way that Ross wasn't in Green Bay's playoff loss to San Francisco), it's a big victory for the Packers.
Franklin is capable of doing much more as a rookie than 500 rushing yards and being dependable on special teams. He has the talent of a 1,000-plus yard rusher and of a dynamic returner.
The problem for Franklin -- and the reason he's only at No. 25 on this list -- is because of the competition around him. This is the deepest group of running backs that Green Bay has had in a long time. There are four good options at running back, even without Franklin. That's a good thing for the Packers, who can rest somewhat easily that one of their five running backs will get the job done. But it's a bad thing for Franklin, who will have quite the challenge on his hands in training camp.
On special teams, if Franklin can't win the starting spot in the kick and punt return game, that will leave it up to Cobb or Ross. Avoiding the possibility of it being Cobb is critical for Green Bay. Cobb is simply too valuable to Rodgers and the offense to be fielding punts and risking injury. Keep in mind, Cobb was injured on a punt return in Week 16, which prompted Rodgers to say during his post-game press conference that he wanted someone else back there. That's why McCarthy is hoping Franklin can be groomed for that role right away.
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