Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: CB Benjie Franklin

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason activities well underway league-wide, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than two months, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, I will be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2023 campaign.

Benjie Franklin, Cornerback

Height/Weight: 6-0, 172 pounds

2022 Stats*: One tackle, one pass breakup

*Preseason stats with Jaguars

After starring for two years at Navarro Junior College, Franklin jumped up to Division II joining Tarleton State, which transitioned to the FCS level after the 2019 season. An instant starter for the Texans, he picked off four passes and scored a pair of defensive touchdowns while helping guide the program to an undefeated regular season and a conference championship. He continued to produce once the program moved to the Western Athletic Conference, amassing 65 tackles and four interceptions in his final two seasons on campus.

Despite running a blazing 4.32 40-yard dash at his pro day, Franklin wasn't drafted and participated in training camp and the preseason with the Jaguars, eventually spending part of the 2022 season on the Packers practice squad before signing a reserve/future deal in January. He joined the Seahawks last month after being waived midway through organized team activities.

Best-Case Scenario: Capitalizing on his elite speed, Franklin flashes on punt returns during training camp and records a pair of pass breakups in preseason games, returning as a member of Seattle's practice squad in September and earning an elevation for two regular season games.

Worst-Case Scenario: Stuck at the bottom of the depth chart at arguably the deepest position on Seattle's roster without an opportunity to impress, Franklin receives a pink slip early in training camp and doesn't latch on with another team.

What to Expect in 2023: The Seahawks have always coveted speed and if there's one thing working in Franklin's favor, he can flat out fly. Speed could be a major asset for him covering kicks and punts, but to really improve his odds of sticking around past training camp, thriving as a return specialist would work wonders with few snaps to be had at cornerback.

Unfortunately, with Franklin joining the team midway through the offseason program and Seattle already having several incoming undrafted rookies vying for snaps in a loaded cornerback room, it will be difficult for him to stand out. Barring an unforeseen emergence in the return game, making it onto the practice squad may even be a difficult task to achieve.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Profiles

Montrae Braswell | John Hall | Bryant Koback | Cam Bright | Jacob Sykes