Michael Penix Jr. has played with his fair share of elite pass-catchers over the years, which is a trend that goes back way before his time with the Atlanta Falcons ever began. Throwing to Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, Germie Bernard, and Ja'Lynn Polk in college helped him lead Washington to the national championship.
But once he reached the NFL, he was once again set up with elite weapons. Bijan Robinson. Drake London. Kyle Pitts. But now you can add another name to the list: Zachariah Branch. The Falcons' third-round rookie has got off to a fantastic start in OTA's and made a strong impression on Penix.
While addressing the media after Tuesday's practice session, the 26-year-old made his admiration of his new wideout clear. After a strong showing, Penix said that Branch has been "balling" and has been making plays every day. And it's no surprise, since his electricity has consistently been put on display and Kevin Stefanski will definitely use him creatively.
Zachariah Branch has made an immediate impression on Michael Penix Jr.
Branch and Penix should be familiar with each other because they overlapped for a year in the Pac-12. In 2023, when Penix was the Heisman Trophy-runner up, Branch was in his freshman season at USC, where he cemented himself as one of the most exciting rising stars in all of college football.
And when they faced each other in a 52-42 Huskies win, neither of them made a major impact. It was the ground game (Dillon Johnson's 256 yards and 4 scores) that carried UW, while Branch was held to just three receptions for 16 yards. Who would've thought three years later they'd be teammates?
In said freshman season, the 21-year-old was an elite return man, receiving the Jet Award which goes to the nation's best return specialist. He displayed promise as a receiver, but it was over the next two seasons where he proved he has what it takes to become one of the highest-upside WRs in the NFL.
Part of why the Falcons felt so comfortable using the 79th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Branch was because of that USC tape. At Georgia, he put up better numbers and was dangerous with the football, but Lincoln Riley proved how to successfully use him with the Trojans because he had a more complete route tree. But beyond to his speed, he's one of the best-conditioned WRs I've ever seen.
Knowing the southpaw has played with this many elite pass-catchers and still has nothing but good things to say about Zachariah Branch is a good sign, especially when they have yet to take a single in-game rep with one another. And I expect their connection to only grow across the next few months, especially as Penix gets healthier.
There have been concerns about his average depth of target, but regardless, he'll be a security blanket for his young signal-caller (or Tua Tagovailoa if he starts). He's the type of player who turns a short gain into a big one, and Penix knows full well this Falcons' offense needs someone like that.
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