The Falcons spent a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Zachariah Branch because they needed juice, and through five games they still haven’t gotten much of it on offense.
Branch has mostly been a return specialist so far, and that’s where his 4.35 speed has made the biggest impact. Even there, the production has been limited in terms of offensive involvement. He’s still sharing slot snaps with Olamide Zaccheus, and across his first five NFL games he has only seven touches.
Still, there’s been a small sign that bigger things may be coming. In the Week 5 loss to the Ravens, Branch took a shallow crossing route, made a defender miss and turned it into a 23-yard gain. That kind of run after the catch is exactly what the Falcons hoped they were buying when they drafted the former Georgia standout.
Zachariah Branch turns up field for the big gain @BALvsATL on NBC/Peacock
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/bN0lJkWPhX
- NFL (@NFL) October 12, 2026
Sunday’s matchup with the Bears could give Atlanta a live example of how to unlock a player with Branch’s profile. Bears coach Ben Johnson has already done it once with Luther Burden III, who had just 10 touches over his first five games last season - barely more than Branch has now - while also beginning the year behind Zaccheus.
Burden didn’t make his real leap right away. His role expanded later in the season, and Johnson has since turned him into one of the league’s most promising young receivers. If Branch follows that arc, Atlanta would take it in a heartbeat.
That comparison works because the two players are different in build, but not necessarily in how an offense can feed them. Burden is listed at 6-foot-210 and can line up inside or outside.
Branch, at 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds, is more of a true slot option. But both are the kind of players who can be manufactured touches and then let their explosiveness do the work.
Branch was used heavily as a gadget piece at Georgia under offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, and that approach helped him lead the SEC in receptions because the goal was simply to get the ball in his hands. Atlanta has taken a different tack, stretching his route tree more toward what he did at USC, where he operated more as a legitimate deep threat.
Burden’s value comes from the damage he can do after the catch, and Johnson has built chances for him to catch the ball in space and go. He can also threaten defenses downfield, and that’s another part of the lesson Atlanta can take from Chicago.
Ben Johnson has built a reputation as one of the sharper offensive minds in football, so the progress Burden has made under him should be a useful blueprint for the Falcons. Branch should see the field more as the season goes on, and the hope in Atlanta is that the touches - and the impact - start to follow.
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