With just weeks separating the Las Vegas Raiders from the 2026 NFL Draft, some clear patterns are starting to take shape. The team has removed any drama from the first pick of the event, as everyone knows they'll take Fernando Mendoza. But after that, they're seemingly honing in on specific groups.
Based on the Raiders' current pre-draft visit list and interest tracker, the Silver and Black are doing more than their share of homework on defensive tackles and wide receivers, particularly in the Day 2 range. Some players have had more, in John Spytek's language, "touch points" than others, however.
Although not the best consensus wideout in the class by any means, the one player that continues to stand out in the pre-draft process is Georgia's Zachariah Branch, who is seemingly more to the front office in Las Vegas than just a local kid who also happens to be a franchise legacy.
Las Vegas Raiders' growing interest in Zachariah Branch is something for fans to monitor
Branch is a relative of Raiders legend and Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Cliff Branch, who spent his entire 14-year career with the Silver and Black, winning three Super Bowl titles. Zachariah Branch also grew up in Las Vegas and went to high school at local powerhouse Bishop Gorman.
While the team has met with tons of wide receivers in the pre-draft process, Branch is the only one with whom the Raiders have reportedly met three times. They spoke with him at the NFL combine, then again at his Georgia Pro Day, and they're also having him on a 30 visit, for good measure.
At 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds with 29 and 3/8-inch arms and 9-inch hands, Branch isn't that big or physical, nor is he the true "X" wide receiver that the fan base has been asking for all offseason. But it's hard to deny that, after three visits, Las Vegas is quite interested in the Georgia product.
In two years at USC, Branch collected just 78 catches for 823 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing 11 times for 87 yards and a score. He stepped up in his lone year in Athens, however, totaling an SEC-best 81 catches for 811 yards and six touchdowns. Growth is always good in young players.
And Branch also helps out on special teams. The Raiders have been looking for a spark in the often-forgotten third phase of football, and Branch led the nation in punt yards per return as a freshman. He also amassed 1,338 total return yards and both a kick and punt return for a touchdown in his career.
Without getting into a full scouting report (which you can read here), Branch has some similarities to the other wideouts Las Vegas already has on its roster. He's the same size as Tre Tucker and will need to line up in the slot like Jack Bech, and he doesn't have a diverse route tree, like Dont'e Thornton Jr.
He is absolutely electric when he has the ball in his hands and is lethal in the open field, but Branch relies largely on screen passes because he isn't the best separator. He did showcase 4.35-second 40-yard dash speed at the NFL combine and has the athleticism, however, to develop that element.
Some may see a bit of Tyreek Hill in his game when he gets to play in space. Klint Kubiak may see him as a dual-threat like Rashid Shaheed. But others have drawn comparisons between him and Baltimore Ravens stud Zay Flowers. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. did so again on Tuesday, explaining their similarities.
"This goes well beyond their similar frames (Branch is 5-foot-9, 177 pounds; Flowers is 5-foot-9, 183 pounds)," Kiper Jr. explained. "Much like Flowers, Branch is lightning quick and near impossible to contain once he gets into open space, displaying explosive burst and incredible acceleration. The Georgia receiver has that same ability to take a quick-game pass on a slant or screen and create a chunk play after the catch. I'm a big fan of Branch, and I think he could go on Day 1, just as Flowers did in 2023."
Almost nobody else thinks Branch will be a Day 1 prospect. The middle of Round 2, at the earliest, is where most people seem to think Branch will land. And if John Spytek trades back and picks up a few more selections, perhaps the Raiders will feel comfortable snagging Branch in the heart of Day 2.
That said, it is difficult to imagine a world where Branch and Tucker meaningfully coexist. Yes, Tucker has mainly lined up out wide during his NFL career and filled that "Z" role, and Branch primarily lined up in the slot at both of his college stops. Theoretically, there is room for both.
But rarely is a coach going to have two receivers below 5-foot-10 on the field together, especially with how big, long and physical the boundary corners and nickel defensive backs are. Klint Kubiak seemingly loves Tucker, but he's in a contract year, so the Raiders must also plan beyond 2026.
Perhaps the plan is for Branch to be Tucker's understudy and eventually replace him. The Raiders may just be interested in Branch's big-play ability, and their continued vetting of him means they aren't actually quite sure that he fits. But fans can't ignore that the Raiders are, at a minimum, very curious.