Atlanta Falcons fans already have a special place in their heart for third-round draft pick Zachariah Branch. The former Georgia Bulldog has been known as one of the nation's most explosive receivers and has already shown that this offseason.
Those who know football know his best football is yet to come. He was underutilized in college, and now Kevin Stefanski will unlock his full potential. However, he's still flying under the radar and being overlooked by the media. In fact, Branch's new QB, Tua Tagovailoa has a chip on his shoulder as well.
In 2023 with the Miami Dolphins, Tua led the NFL in passing yards and made the Pro Bowl. But last year, the wheels fell off and Tagovailoa was cut by the Dolphins despite commanding $99.2 million in dead cap--and he's looking to use his shiny new weapon to make his former team live to regret that.
Falcons will give Tua Tagovailoa's old team nightmares over draft steal
By all accounts, Branch shouldn't have been available in the third round. While he had limited production at Georgia, he routinely showed he was capable of being more than just a behind-the-line receiver.
CBS Sports' Josh Edwards is among the writers who don't realize just how good Branch will be immediately. He ranked his top 10 rookie receivers based on projected production, and Branch was nowhere to be found.
The 10th-rated receiver was the Dolphins' third-rounder, Caleb Douglas, who was drafted four picks before the Falcons' rookie at No. 75. But I think we all know that Tua will quickly launch his rookie receiver past the Dolphins' youngster, proving his new team made a better pick than his old team.
Look at the facts: the Dirty Birds have a strong receiving core with Drake London, Jahan Dotson, and Olamide Zaccheaus, along with Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson getting their fair share of opportunities. Teams won't be focused on the rookie, giving Stefanski opportunities to either get the ball in Branch's hands behind the line or deep down the field.
Meanwhile, after trading Jaylen Waddle and not re-signing Tyreek Hill, the Dolphins are led by Malik Washington, Jalen Tolbert, and Tutu Atwell. Teams will have the foresight to focus on Douglas and a group of young WRs, making it difficult for the former Texas Tech Red Raider to make a real impact.
And then you have the quarterback position. Tagovailoa has way more experience than Miami starter Malik Willis. Willis has played in 22 games, completing 105 passes for 1,322 yards and six touchdowns -- Tua is at 78 games with 1,647 completions for 18,166 yards and 120 touchdowns.
Tagovailoa helped Tyreek Hill to two All-Pro seasons and Waddle to three 1,000-yard seasons--and he said he sees a bit of Waddle in Branch's game.
All told, there is no doubt that Zachariah Branch should be listed ahead of Douglas and among the top 10 rookie receivers. He will have a much easier transition into the pros because of the connection between him and Tua Tagovailoa, another man the Dolphins will wish they had in 2026.
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