What Makes Zachariah Branch Different From Most NFL Rookies

FLOWERY BRANCH – There is a lot to like about the Atlanta Falcons’ third-round pick, Zachariah Branch.

The former Georgia wide receiver offers elite speed and playmaking ability that make him a tantalizing candidate for Kevin Stefanski’s offensive plans this season. Plenty has been said about his versatility, but he has one hidden trait that could help him quickly adjust to life in the NFL.

His father, Sheva Branch, is a strength and conditioning coach who has worked with world-class athletes like Serena Williams. That experience has done wonders for his son, whose strength has quietly been one of his primary assets.

The emphasis on weight training, getting proper sleep, and taking care of his body – he retains an oxygen therapist who helps him with his recovery and conditioning – has been there from the beginning. Branch has effectively been training like a professional athlete since middle school.

“The commitment and consistency and discipline level that I personally came with come from just how I was raised,” Branch said. “My parents just showed me that. Whatever you end up doing, you’ve got to be consistent and disciplined if you want to be successful. I feel like they showed me that, and you have to make sacrifices.

“I got that from my dad as well, just him lining up the things like, ‘Okay, if you want to actually get to this level, here's what you need to do.’ Given how he's training Serena Williams, I’d be dumb not to listen.”

Those efforts have already started to bear fruit.

Despite his diminutive frame (5-foot-9, 177 pounds), Branch regularly worked out with offensive linemen at Georgia, and that strength showed up at the NFL Combine. He threw up 20 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.

On the field, he was equally outstanding. His years of professional-level recovery habits helped Branch stay explosive deep into games, something that showed up in his SEC-leading production.

He led the conference (and set a Georgia record) with 81 receptions, 811 yards, and six touchdowns – 634 of those yards came after the catch. The Bulldogs primarily used Branch as a weapon in the slot, maximizing his short-area quickness and open-field playmaking ability to create problems for defenses. He was often used on screens and in the quick-pass game, where he excelled.

In Atlanta, Stefanski will look to utilize some of those skills.

“We've spent a lot of time with him, the coaches have. He really has a great schematic fit, also a great personal fit for what we believe in and how hard he works,” Stefanski said. “Just a player that you can really line up all over the field. If you go back and watch his tape over the course of his different stops and the way he was utilized, I think there's a ton of versatility there. Also, he provides value in the return game, which is no small thing.”

As for Branch, he just wants to win.

For his career, it has been just about all he has done. From high school powerhouse Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, where he lost just three times, to college, where he played for legacy brands like USC and Georgia, that is what he expects in the NFL, too.

“I'm all about winning,” Branch told the media on the night he was drafted. “That's what I love about Georgia as well. Everybody loves trying to win and things like that. Whatever position they want me to be in to help our team win is what I'm going to do. Whether it's special teams, receiver, I'm with it all.”

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