5-foot-9 Georgia WR named ideal fit for Jets in second round of NFL Draft

The New York Jets are heading into the 2026 NFL Draft with a ton of capital to spend on premier players in the first two rounds.

They pick at No. 2 and 16 in the first round of the draft, and in Round 2, they lead the round with the 33rd pick, and their fourth and final pick is at 44th overall.

ESPN's Matt Bowen named a Georgia 5-foot-9 wide receiver as the Jets' ideal fit with the 44th pick, as Zachariah Branch would be a nice pairing with Garett Wilson in New York.

Jets' ideal draft fit at No. 44 is Georgia's Zachariah Branch

"The Jets need to add receiver talent opposite Garett Wilson, so Branch makes sense as a dynamic slot target who is electric after the catch," Bowen writes.

While Branch is on the smaller side, at 5-foot-9, 177-pounds, he's great after the catch, and with 4.33 speed, he can fly by defenses in the NFL.

The upside of Branch is why the Jets could take him and pair him with Wilson and Adonai Mitchell in the wide receiver room.

There has been trade buzz about Brian Thomas Jr., along with one of the top WRs in this year's draft class, Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, Jordyn Tyson, and Omar Cooper Jr., potentially coming to the Jets.

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But, if the Jets opt to go elsewhere with their first-round picks, landing Branch in Round 2 would be a nice way to bolster the wide receiver room without overspending on someone to make up for missing on the top options.

Last year for Georgia, he had 811 receiving yards on 81 receptions with six touchdowns. While his home would likely be only as a slot receiver thanks to his size, Wan'Dale Robinson eventually showed greater ability despite a similar stature.

Branch isn't as big as some other receivers, but the Jets could still get some great production out of him as their No. 2 wide receiver behind Wilson. And with Mitchell in the fold as well, Branch could get plenty of work out of the slot in the Jets offense.

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