The 2026 NFL season is still weeks away, but a handful of rookies are already separating themselves before a single preseason snap. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Zachariah Branch is emerging as one of the standout names of a young rookie class, and Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Nate Boerkircher is starting to make believers out of skeptics who questioned his draft slot. Both storylines were detailed this week in an NFL Rookie Notebook from NFL Mocks, and they’re worth a closer look as training camps open around the league.
Branch is doing exactly what Atlanta hoped
Branch fell to the third round of the 2026 draft, and Atlanta grabbed him at pick No. 79 out of Georgia. Small for the position at 5-foot-9 and 177 pounds, he offset that with a blistering 4.35-second 40-yard dash at the combine — speed that shows up on tape as much as it did on the watch.
The production backs it up. Branch set a Georgia single-season record with 81 receptions last year, earned Second-Team All-SEC honors, and led the conference in catches while posting an 87.1 percent catch rate that topped every receiver in the FBS, according to NFL Mocks, which cited TruMedia data. He also forced 20 missed tackles, the kind of after-the-catch production that’s drawn comparisons to Tyreek Hill from evaluators.
That tape is already translating. New Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said this offseason that Branch “kind of reminds me of [Jaylen] Waddle,” according to Fox Sports. The Athletic’s Josh Kendall echoed the sentiment, noting Branch was one of the most visible players on the field all spring, per NFL Mocks’ reporting.
The opportunity is real. Drake London remains the unquestioned No. 1 target in Atlanta, but the No. 2 job behind him is up for grabs, with veterans Jahan Dotson and Olamide Zaccheaus also in the mix, per Fox Sports. Branch’s blend of quickness and run-after-catch ability gives him a real path to that role as a rookie, and he’s also the favorite to handle return duties — a job he’s built for after becoming the first true freshman in USC history to earn All-American honors, winning the Jet Award as the nation’s top return specialist.
Falcons rookies report to training camp in Flowery Branch on July 24, with the preseason opener set for Aug. 14 against Denver, according to Atlanta Falcons On SI. If Branch’s spring carries over, a 50-catch, multi-touchdown season with return-game upside isn’t out of reach for a third-round pick.
Why the Jaguars’ Boerkircher pick is looking smarter
Not every rookie storyline has been received warmly. Jacksonville’s decision to take Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher at No. 56 overall was one of the more criticized calls of the draft. Bleacher Report called him an “overaged, blocking tight end who produced next-to-nothing as a receiver.”
The context matters, though. Boerkircher is regarded as one of the best blocking tight ends in his class, and that fits a real need — Jacksonville finished with the fifth-lowest explosive run rate in the league last season, per TruMedia data cited by NFL Mocks. The Jaguars also used multiple tight ends on just 24.9 percent of their snaps, tied for 23rd leaguewide, but that number could climb under head coach Liam Coen, whose scheme background under Sean McVay has leaned on multiple-tight-end sets.
Boerkircher wasn’t heavily used as a receiver in college — he was never targeted more than 22 times in a season — but he was efficient when the ball did come his way, catching 79 percent of his career targets, including 19 of 22 as a senior. According to PFF charting data, he caught three of four targets in tight coverage and dropped just two passes across five college seasons.
None of that erases the reach at No. 56. But if Jacksonville leans into heavier personnel and a more physical run game under Coen, Boerkircher looks less like a luxury pick and more like a scheme fit that could pay off by midseason.
Rookies to watch around the league
- Sam Roush, TE, Bears — Chicago’s third-round pick joins a room that already has Colston Loveland and Cole Kmet, setting up more frequent three-tight-end personnel that could stress defenses in both phases.
- Kaytron Allen, RB, Commanders — Penn State’s all-time leading rusher, taken in the sixth round, rushed for 1,303 yards and 15 touchdowns last season and profiles as a between-the-tackles complement to Jacory Croskey-Merritt after Washington lost Chris Rodriguez Jr. to Jacksonville in free agency.
- KC Concepcion, WR, Browns — The No. 24 overall pick will compete with Isaiah Bond for Cleveland’s starting slot job. Concepcion offers a higher after-the-catch ceiling, but seven drops in his final Texas A&M season are a real question mark.
