When the Falcons selected Zachariah Branch with the 79th pick in the third round, it was a fantastic fit for both the franchise and him. Branch was coming off a terrific season at Georgia, where he earned second-team All-SEC honors.
Establishing himself as an electric playmaker in college, he possesses an intriguing skill set that every team seeks. The Falcons needed another wide receiver following a season where they were severely limited at the position. Adding Branch would bring another dimension
to a receiving group lacking speed.
There was genuine buzz about Branch joining the Falcons. He made his mark in Georgia. He is vocal about wanting to be coached hard and being dedicated to putting in the work to be great. The tantalizing capabilities with team-first mentality are the exact combination the franchise needs from its young players to get back to winning.
It was also special for Branch to be selected by the Falcons because it meant he could stay in Georgia. His brother, Zion, is a senior at Georgia. Branch’s parents, who both come from sports backgrounds, are known for how much they do for their children and their constant support. Their love and guidance has played a significant role in Zachariah’s journey. He is grateful that his family can be together as he starts his NFL career.
“I’m pretty sure my parents have missed only one game ever between my brother and me growing up,” Branch said. “It’s very important for them to be at certain games and events. They always want to be there to cherish those moments with us. It was a blessing when I found out I’m going to be staying in Georgia, playing for the Falcons, especially with my brother still at the University of Georgia. We were trying to figure out how it would work if I went to a different team and it was further away. Thankfully, I got to stay in Georgia. They were really excited that we were going to stay in the same vicinity.”
Being closely connected with his dad, Sheva, is hugely important. His dad played fullback for San Jose State and later became a highly regarded sports performance coach. Specializing in high-performance strength and conditioning, Sheva Branch works relentlessly with athletes to make sure they are in top form to compete at the highest level. That allows Zachariah to be in the best environment for him to elevate himself while sustaining that special bond with his father.
“I only train with him when it comes to strength and conditioning and speed work,” Branch said. “I haven’t trained with anyone else other than my college and high school strength coaches. Besides that, I always train with my dad. He has a sports academy in Las Vegas now. It’s called Game Changers Sports Academy. They are working on a huge project right now that should be done in 2027, which is going to be really cool.”
“I always train out there when I go back home to Vegas. I always love spending time with my dad. He’ll text me certain things about training methods and recovery. I got my dumbbells and everything set up in the recovery room inside my house. He always texts me to make sure I’m doing things right throughout the week to keep that consistent routine of how to do certain things, knowing how my body is. He’s been training with me my whole life. He’s been such a big part of my journey, both athletically and nutrition-wise. I am so grateful for him.”
As his rookie season began, Branch partnered with Oral-B and Crest. It was a big moment for him as a young player. While he had his share of collaborations at Georgia and USC, it feels different to get them at the pro level.
Earning big opportunities off the field while representing an NFL franchise is gratifying. He’s loving every bit of the partnership while sharing how often he brushes his teeth and what food he loves the most, which forces him to brush the hardest.
“It’s a real blessing,” Branch said with a big smile. “As soon as they presented me with the opportunity, I jumped for joy and took it. It was so cool how it came together. Oral care and oral hygiene are very important to me. Once I saw the Falcon logo on the Oral-B toothbrush and the toothpaste, I was even more excited.”
“I definitely brush my teeth twice a day. Once I wake up, I got to make sure that white smile is ready to look good for the day. Then, before I go to sleep, I make sure I pull out the Oral-B+ Crest products and get myself right at night.”
“Whenever I’m watching games or movies, I enjoy having popcorn. After I finish eating, I know I need that Crest toothpaste to get it all out of my teeth. It definitely does the job for sure.”
Branch has had many blessings over the past year. One of the more notable ones is getting to square off against one of the NFL’s better secondary units at training camp and now in practice. Competing against the likes of Jessie Bates, A.J. Terrell, Xavier Watts, and the other defensive backs within an ultra-talented group has been pivotal in his development.
“Facing off against all of them has helped me a lot,” Branch stated. “We got an ample amount of guys who can go out there and make plays at any given moment. Whether you are going against any of the three units, we have players who go out there and get to work. There’s always good competition. I picked up on that immediately in training camp.”
“Iron sharpens iron, so I truly do believe that they allowed me to get better. With how good our defense is and how they dress up certain things, they can put together a disguise and then drop into a different coverage. I got to see so many different looks going against them. Facing a good amount of man coverage also helped me become a better overall player stepping into my rookie season.”
Growing as a wide receiver isn’t Branch’s only priority. He is the team’s primary punt returner. He’s also returned a few kickoffs so far this season. A player with his game-breaking speed and exceptional elusiveness can be a major difference-maker in those roles. Branch returned both kickoff and punt for touchdowns in his freshman year at USC.
He’s always been dangerous as a returner. That’s why it’s no surprise he’s shown glimpses of nearly breaking off a big return as a Falcon. The 2023 Jet Award winner, an award for being college football’s top return specialist, feels he is close to producing a highlight-reel return.
“Returning has gone okay so far,” Branch expressed. “I haven’t reached my potential yet. I do feel like I’m going to break one soon. My guys and coaching staff do a great job of preparing the scheme to put us in the best position possible to produce. I trust all my guys out there to spring me free. I know we are due for a big one soon, so I’m excited to make a difference there.”
Branch prides himself on being the ultimate team player. Although he does have a preference between returning kickoffs and punts, he fully embraces being in position to do both. He knows he can create something special whenever he has the ball in his hands. The 2023 first-team All-American reflected on his time as a returner, providing insight into his approach.
“I’ll go with punt returning as my preferred choice because I’ve been returning punts since I was born,” Branch laughed. “Honestly, that’s just something I’ve always been doing since high school. I didn’t return kickoffs in high school. The kickoff I took to the house against San Jose State in my freshman year at USC was the first kickoff I returned since middle school. I had to learn the kick-returning rules little by little by understanding how to set up the block and then hit it off a certain area.”
“With punt returning, you can do it a certain way. At the end of the day, it kind of feels like backyard football back there for me. I’m trying to make the first guy miss and get vertical. If I see a certain leverage on the block, okay, that’s the way for me. Punt returning is something I was more comfortable doing in the beginning, but I like doing both for sure.”
Another way for a young wide receiver to earn the trust of his coaching staff and teammates is by being a capable blocker. As dynamic as Branch is, the biggest play he’s made so far, three games into his career, is taking out Keisean Nixon on a terrific block to clear space for Bijan Robinson to gain 31 yards.
The rookie wide receiver went in motion from left to right and instantly put himself in position to get in front of Nixon. In the process of making the block, he disrupted Evan Williams enough to prevent him from bringing down Robinson. That helped turn a likely 10-yard gain into an impressive 31-yard run. Blocking has always been a skill that Branch values.
“It’s very important,” Branch said. “That started right away for me in college, being an aggressive blocker. USC and Georgia did a good job of emphasizing that during my time at both schools. When I got to Georgia most recently, things got very real there. If you want the ball, you are going to have to make sure you are blocking well to have those opportunities.”
“A big part of the explosive plays I had on bubble screens were because of the guys around me blocking. You always want to do your best for your teammates because if I got the ball, I want them to block for me. I know I have to do the same for them if we’re going to win. That’s what I keep in mind no matter what. I don’t want to be someone who can only impact the game when I have the ball in my hands. I want to impact the game when I don’t have the ball in my hands. That’s why blocking is so important to me.”
As he aspires to grow as a player in many ways, Branch isn’t fixated on specific statistical objectives. He remains focused on contributing wherever he can to help the Falcons win games.
It’s been a challenging start for the team, given the quarterback conundrum they faced in the first two games. With Michael Penix Jr. looking impressive in his return against Green Bay, the Falcons are in a position to start winning games. That’s what Branch cares about the most.
“The biggest thing for me is winning,” Branch said. “I never really lost games, starting back in high school. Then in college, especially my last year at Georgia, we were never used to losing. Everywhere I played, we had that winning mentality. We did whatever it took to win. That’s what it was like playing at Georgia. I was a competitive person growing up who hated losing. That’s what made it a great fit for me to play there. I’m going out there with pure focus to win.”
“I don’t have specific goals for stats. I’m not looking to have this exact amount of yards. I just want to continue to get better every single game. All those reps are very important. Getting a chance to learn certain things on film and see what I did. That’ll allow me to continue doing the things I liked on film. Also, most importantly, picking up on what I could have done better to make sure that when I go out there for the next game in Week 17, I’m a completely different player than who I was in Week 2. I’m excited to continue developing and making a difference, however my role plays out.”
Things are only going to get more exciting for Branch. He is playing in his first Falcons-Saints game on Monday night. Branch is well aware of the rivalry’s significance. He has played his share of intense rivalry games in college. Preparation is vital for him to be mentally and physically ready to come out on top in these big matchups. The rookie wide receiver can’t wait to play in a hostile environment and help the Falcons earn another primetime road win.
“Oh yeah, I’m amped up for sure,” Branch said, nodding with a big grin. “Those rivalry games are my favorite ones. There’s so much built up on both sides of the ball. You want to see who’s really better when we step on the field. There’s a lot of emotion that goes into it, but at the same time, you’ve got to be poised and do your job as best as possible. Playing in that kind of atmosphere is going to be very exciting, but we know we can’t let emotions have a negative impact on what we do.”
“This is the time to shine. We know everybody will be watching. You want to go out there and be the best version of yourself. This game is going to produce different big moments. Those moments are where I thrive the most. The pressure is kind of in your head. You obviously feel some nerves before the game because you are amped up to play. You want that.”
“What you don’t want is to be nervous. If you are nervous, then I think that’s because of a lack of preparation. I try to take advantage of all the opportunities I can to make sure I am as prepared. That way, when I’m out there, I’m just cutting loose. I’m excited for all the big moments that are coming Monday night.”
