Zachariah Branch
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Georgia WR Zachariah Branch.
It’s looking more and more like the Las Vegas Raiders will target a wide receiver early in the draft. They’ve met with several prospects who are expected to be available in the second or third round.
One name who would be a lot of fun is Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch. Notably, he is the nephew of Raiders Hall of Fame wide receiver Cliff Branch. Similar to his late uncle, he possesses elite speed, running a 4.35 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
He was also born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, having played high school football at Bishop Gorman. Branch told NFL Network that he’s having a Top 30 visit with the Raiders, so he gets to go back to his hometown to meet with his uncle’s former team.
He’ll likely get a very warm welcome at the Raiders’ facility. Owner Mark Davis was very close to Cliff Branch before his passing. Davis even referred to him as his “best friend” in an interview with The Athletic after his passing.
“It hurts to lose my best friend, and Cliff still is my best friend,” Davis told The Athletic in 2019. “We spent 47 years together. He was one of the greatest people you’ll ever know. He did everything for everyone else. And he’d share anything with you. He was a unique individual, and I’d say, for the last 25 years, he put his life in order and there’s nothing bad you can say about it. Like I said … I’m in shock.”
Davis doesn’t interfere with draft decisions, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if he were hoping the Raiders end up drafting the Georgia speedster.
Branch Met With Raiders at Combine
This won’t be the first time the Raiders have met with Zachariah Branch. They also met with the young wide receiver at the Combine.
He spoke about the interview and how he’d be excited to play for his hometown team.
“Meeting with the Raiders was pretty cool. … Had a good time, especially hometown team,” Brand said at the Combine. “Talked about Cliff Branch and the history in my family. So proud that he’s in the Hall of Fame, as well.”
Is Branch the Right Fit for Raiders?
Branch had 81 catches for 811 yards in his final year at Georgia. He’s a productive player who wins with great speed. The concern with him is that he’s only 5-foot-9, 177 pounds. He’s not going to win many 50/50 balls.
Branch is almost the exact same size as Tre Tucker, who is another speedster. If the Raiders are going to draft a wide receiver early, they may prefer somebody who is a different body type than the wide receivers they already have.
At the same time, if the Raiders think that Branch can be a star, it doesn’t matter if they already have similar players on the roster. Adding Branch would give the Raiders some serious speed at wide receiver. Jalen Nailor, Tucker and Dont’e Thornton are all burners. It would certainly make for an exciting offense, but might not be the most dynamic passing attack.