The Falcons didn’t take Zachariah Branch just to stash him in a narrow role, and early camp has only strengthened that belief.
Branch arrived in Atlanta as a third-round pick - the 12th wide receiver selected - after putting up 811 receiving yards and an SEC-best 81 catches in his lone season in Athens. The numbers were strong, and the measurables jumped off the page too: a 4.35-second 40-yard dash and 20 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press. Still, there were questions about his smaller frame and the limited route tree he showed in college.
Those concerns haven’t slowed him down since the Falcons brought him in, with Ian Cunningham comfortable making the bet. Whether it’s been on the practice field or when he’s been asked to talk in front of the media, Branch has kept drawing praise. What started with some thinking he’d be mostly a kick returner or gadget piece as a rookie has already started to look bigger than that.
“Zachariah, we continue to give a little bit more to each day,” Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “It goes back to really all these guys just trying to find roles for them as they earn them and trying to find different things that they can do that can help our offense or our defense. In this case with Zachariah, it's what routes do we feel like he can run really well, and then what personnel groupings do we want to get him in there.
“He's earning that because he practices very hard, [and] is showing up in these drills. When you go to team drills and it's 11-on-11, he continues to show up.”
That role has started to take shape in a familiar way. Atlanta has leaned heavily into its screen game early in camp, and Branch has been a regular part of that work alongside All-Pro running back Bijan Robinson. It fits what he already does best, and it gives him a clear path to contributing while he keeps adjusting to the NFL.
His teammates have already seen what happens once he gets the ball.
“He's very explosive - down the field, in the short game, catching the ball and transitioning into a runner,” Michael Penix Jr. explained about what makes Branch such a dangerous player. “With the ball in his hands, he’s definitely special. That's somebody we want to get the ball to a lot this year, so he's definitely been looking good.”
“That dude can be anywhere,” Tua Tagovailoa added during the first week of training camp. “You find him, he’s open.
That dude, he’s fast. He can get away from guys.
Great separation, great hands and great elusiveness when the ball’s in his hands.”
Cash Jones wasn’t surprised by any of it. The other Georgia rookie on the Falcons’ roster spent just one year with Branch, but that was enough to know the receiver was different from the start. Jones said he knew from “day one” that Branch stood out, and not just because of his speed.
“He’s a freak athlete, and he can be running at full speed and stop on a dot. He has great hands.
He’s a super smart kid,” Jones said. “I’m super excited to see what happens this year for him.”
For Branch, the early challenge has been simple: keep building, keep proving it, and keep carving out a place on the roster in whatever way he can. So far, he’s done exactly that.
Friday night will be the next checkpoint, when he makes his preseason debut at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. After spending the first week of camp pushing expectations higher, he’ll finally get a chance to show whether that momentum carries into game action.
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