NFL Legend Steve Smith Sr. Suggests the Georgia Bulldogs Misused WR Zachariah Branch

Former NFL wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. suggests that the Georgia Bulldogs did Zachariah Branch a disservice during his time in Athens.

The NFL Draft is just a few weeks away, as scouts and GMs prepare their final rounds of scouting ahead of selection night. With so many teams in need of multiple positions, there are plenty of names who have gained loads of traction during this process.

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Zachariah Branch is one of the many names to have garnered some attention this draft cycle. The Las Vegas native is coming off of a career season with Georgia after joining the team's roster ahead of the 2025 season.

Branch's quickness, speed, and ability to make defenders miss has made him a highly-desired entity in this year's class, and his usage during his time at Georgia has many experts raving about his potential within an NFL system.

One expert who is not fully supportive of Georgia's usage of Branch, however, is NFL legend Steve Smith Sr. who recently noted that he felt the Georgia Bulldogs staff needed to use the receiver differently to better showcase his versatility.

Steve Smith Sr. Claims the Georgia Bulldogs Did Zachariah Branch a Disservice

Sep 27, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) cannot make a catch against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the first quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

"I love his game when you just get the ball in his hands. I just wish that Georgia would have given him some different routes to display his versatility, and they didn't do that," said Smith. "I think that does him a disservice. Because all of what we see, all of what we know, all his film we are going to watch, his average depth of target for 2025 was 3.6 yards."

Despite claims of misusage, Branch was easily Georgia's most featured pass catcher during the 2025 season. The wide receiver had more than 50 more receptions than any other player on the roster and led the Bulldogs in receiving yards by well over 400 yards. In addition, Branch's 2025 season saw a more than 30-year school record be broken for most receptions in a single season.

Branch has also had nothing but glowing remarks of his time in Athens, and has remained very thankful to head coach Kirby Smart and the team's staff for helping him prepare for his next journey in the NFL Draft.

While critics and experts may have some valid claims that Zachariah Branch's time in Athens was misused, those experts would be hard-pressed to find a player who had more of an impact of Georgia's offensive success during the 2025 season.