Falcons WR Zachariah Branch drew rave reviews from QB Tua Tagovailoa and HC Kevin Stefanski in a recent piece for The Athletic by Josh Kendall. Tagovailoa specifically compared Branch to Jaylen Waddle as a shifty WR who gets easy separation. Stefanski discussed Branch’s strong practice effort and success. Branch certainly has a chance to rise up the depth chart throughout camp and the preseason with Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus being his main competition for early snaps.
What They're Saying: Coaches Love The Makeup
HC Kevin Stefanski: “Zachariah is wired the right way. He’s somebody that really puts in the effort on a day-to-day basis. Really that’s no surprise because that’s what (Georgia head coach Kirby Smart) told me, that’s what all his coaches told me. You watch him in practice, and he goes and he goes and he goes. He’s got the right makeup for what we want to be.”
Tua Tagovailoa: “I mean, dude’s fast, very shifty. Great kid, got a good head on his shoulders and he asks a lot of questions. I think that’s something very good that you like to see from rookies. You find him, he’s open. Great separation, great hands and great elusiveness when the ball is in his hands.”
2026 Fantasy Football Impact: WR76 Has Room To Climb
The Falcons drafted Branch in the third round of the NFL Draft this past season as a potential contributor at WR and on special teams.
Branch has been drawing rave reviews in training camp, and this piece adds to that. The former five-star recruit ran a 4.35 40, and that speed has shown up in camp reps.
The competition for snaps gives Branch a chance to make an impact as a rookie, with Dotson and Zaccheaus as uninspiring starting-WR options.
Branch currently sits at WR76 in our PPR WR rankings. That could move up if we get an indication that he can crack the top three WRs on the team. He can be a late-round flier just in case Branch continues ascending.
We also highlighted Branch as a target in return yardage fantasy leagues.
We will continue to monitor Branch’s camp buzz moving forward.
