Saints pursue electric playmaker Zachariah Branch, eyeing the speedster to fill the dynamic void left by Rashid Shaheed's departure.
The New Orleans Saints have a type, and it usually involves a stopwatch.
Per ESPN’s Field Yates, the Saints recently held a private workout with former Georgia (and USC) standout Zachariah Branch. For a team that hasn't quite felt the same since trading Rashid Shaheed to Seattle at last season’s deadline, this isn't just a due-diligence meeting—it’s a search for a missing engine.
The "Shaheed" Sized Hole
When the Saints moved on from Shaheed, they didn't just lose a receiver; they lost their vertical gravity. Without that elite speed to keep safeties honest, the field shrunk for Chris Olave and the rest of the offense. The Saints lost one of the NFL's most dangerous deep threats and a premier All-Pro return specialist.
New Orleans surrendered a player who averaged nearly 15 yards per reception and provided "lightning-in-a-bottle" scoring ability on both offense and special teams.
Enter Branch. If you’ve watched a lick of SEC or Pac-12 ball over the last three years, you know the name.
- The Speed: He clocked a 4.35 40-yard dash at the Combine. Branch won the Jet Award (nation's top return specialist) as a true freshman. Over his collegiate career at USC and Georgia, he returned 83 total kicks and punts, providing the same field-position flipping ability that made Shaheed a Pro Bowler.
- The YAC Monster: While Shaheed was primarily a deep-ball tracker, Branch is a "Human Joystick" in the short game. In 2025, he ranked 4th in the FBS with 634 yards after the catch, averaging a ridiculous 8.0 YAC per reception.
- The Return Game: He’s arguably the best return specialist available, having led the nation in punt return average (20.8) as a freshman at USC.
Why the Saints Are Smitten
New Orleans currently holds the No. 8 overall pick, but Branch is widely projected as a Day 2 selection (somewhere in the 2nd or 3rd round). This private workout, which reportedly included extensive punt return drills, suggests the Saints are eyeing him as a high-value pick to solve two problems at once: a starting slot receiver and an All-Pro caliber returner.
The fit is almost too perfect. Branch is the type of player you put in motion, give jet sweeps, and throw screens to just to watch him make three people miss in a phone booth.
A Risk Worth Taking?
Is he small? Yes. At 5'9" and 177 lbs, he’s not going to be out-muscling cornerbacks on the boundary. But in today’s NFL, "small" is just another word for "hard to catch."
If the Saints can snag Branch in the second round, they aren't just getting a receiver; they’re getting an identity. Thanks to previous trades with the Seahawks and an awarded compensatory pick in the 4th round, the Saints are particularly heavy in the middle rounds. This gives them flexibility to target depth for the offensive line or special teams with a prospective playmaker like Zachariah Branch if he slides.
Branch brings the lightning that went missing when Shaheed left town. For a Saints team looking to inject some life into the Caesars Superdome, Branch might be the most electric option on the board.