Falcons veteran is quietly pumping the brakes on the Zachariah Branch hype

Throughout the first two weeks of Atlanta Falcons training camp, rookie receiver Zachariah Branch has been one of the stars of the show. His explosiveness and versatility have consistently been on display to the point that he looks like a future Pro Bowler. No wonder he's pushing to start from Day 1.

You'd think that with such a glowing review, the third-round pick will instantly slot into the Falcons' starting lineup, but it isn't that simple. Since the pads have come on, Branch has started to get a little quieter, while a key veteran is starting to apply some pressure on his bid to make an instant impact.

Atlanta brought back Olamide Zaccheus in free agency, and it sure seems like the Falcons are going to start him on account of the seniority bonus. And with the way the veteran receiver has started to look in training camp, it's hard to be surprised he's starting to pump the brakes on the Branch hype.

Would the Atlanta Falcons start Olamide Zaccheus over Zachariah Branch?

When the Falcons have been lining up in two-receiver sets, Drake London and Jahan Dotson have been the main wideouts, but Zaccheus has complicated matters in 3-WR sets. The expectation was that Branch would start out of the slot, early training camp returns have started to suggest otherwise.

When the Dirty Birds had three receivers on the field, that's where the 29-year-old's experience came into play. He's reportedly joined London and Dotson on the field as the starting slot receiver while Zachariah Branch has merely rotated in, since most of his big plays have come during 1-on-1s.

Not only has Olamide Zaccheus been running with the Falcons starters, he's been genuinely good in those opportunities. During Tuesday morning's practice, he caught a touchdown from Michael Penix Jr. during a skeleton drill, and hauled in a beautiful 30-yard pass from Tua Tagovailoa on Saturday.

The pass from Tagovailoa was the Virginia product's best play of camp to date, and it seems like his role in 11s-on-11s has him firmly ahead of Branch right now. But ensuring it stays that way is another story.

Here's the thing: because of the amount they're expected to line up in 12 (or 13) personnel this year, the Falcons aren't expected to have three receivers on the field often, and considering how creatively this staff can utilize the 79th overall pick, they want to get the ball in his hands as often as possible.

Even still, Olamide Zaccheus is forcing the Atlanta Falcons to keep him on the field. He's already proven to be a more-than-viable complimentary receiver who can offer the WR-room some much-needed stability while Zachariah Branch continues to get his feet wet at the NFL level.

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