The Atlanta Falcons made a flurry of roster moves on Monday afternoon that feel inconsequential but really aren't. They signed four players, including veterans Ross Blacklock and Layden Robinson, but they also released four others, which marked the end of Deven Thompkins' time with the franchise.
Thompkins was one of four players the Falcons cut to make room for the guys they signed, which isn't all that surprising. He was Atlanta's return man down the stretch after Jamal Agnew's release, and while he was solid, new special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman needs to bring in his guys.
Aukerman's approach became clear after they signed a new kicker and punter, but getting rid of the 26-year-old before training camp even started gave us some answers on how things look at return man, as the Falcons seem to already have Thompkins' replacement lined up in Zachariah Branch.
Zachariah Branch will take over for Deven Thompkins as the Falcons' return man
The Dirty Birds didn't draft Georgia's Zachariah Branch with the 79th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft for nothing. His speed is tantalizing, and their wide receiver room badly needed that. He's a player that Kevin Stefanski can easily scheme up touches for, and he's the perfect complement to Drake London
But more than what he will offer the offense, the 21-year-old's special teams value is helping him kill two birds with one stone. Branch returned kicks at both Georgia and USC, and his prowess in the return game certainly helped the Falcons feel comfortable enough to move on from Thompkins.
The third-round rookie is set to take over as the return man, and with his home-run capabilities and ability to make defenders miss will give Atlanta some much-needed juice in that area. He averaged nearly 20 yards per kick return and 13.4 yards per punt return across his three seasons in college.
Branch logged over 750 kick return yards, and more than half of those came in his freshman season at USC. This is his job to lose, but the Falcons also signed intriguing UDFAs who can help with depth in that area: Wisconsin's Vinny Anthony II, and Miami's Keelan Marion, who was an All-American return man in 2024. Yeah, give me the rookies.
The Utah State product played no role for the Falcons on offense, so knowing he wasn't gonna return kicks, they had virtually no use for him. And someone who will offer Atlanta actual depth at wideout like Anthony or Dylan Drummond is more worth a roster spot over a special teamer like Thompkins.
The writing was on the wall with this move for a very long time, and Branch taking over as the return man will make for must-see TV.
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