Tua Tagovailoa has exciting comparison for Zachariah Branch

Tua and Waddle starred together at the University of Alabama before being taken in back-to-back drafts by the Miami Dolphins.

It didn’t take Waddle long to acclimate to the professional level. In his very first season, he caught over 100 passes for over 1,000 yards. He went on to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in each of his first three seasons and has never finished with fewer than 744 yards over his five-year career.

The comparison between Waddle and Branch is natural. Both are quick-twitch speed merchants who made big plays on special teams throughout their college careers and can turn passes behind the line of scrimmage into touchdowns.

Where they differ is that Waddle was a far more accomplished downfield threat coming out of college with a more polished route tree. Those are aspects we didn’t see much of from Branch — even during his breakout campaign last season at Georgia, when he caught 81 passes for 800 yards and six touchdowns.

That’s what the Falcons are hoping he can unlock at the next level. Branch enters the league with an extremely high floor, possessing the kind of athleticism that simply can’t be taught. At the very least, he’s going to help Atlanta on special teams and give the coaching staff a handful of gadget plays to get him into space on offense.

There’s real value in that — especially for a third-round pick. But the ceiling is that of a player like Jaylen Waddle, a true game changer at the wide receiver position that would be an incredible complement to the Falcons’ big-bodied number one receiving threat in Drake London.