After not having a defensive player taken in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the University of Alabama may have two players selected for April’s venue.
Will Anderson Jr., an edge rusher, should come off the board in the top five. Brian Branch, a safety, has emerged as the second Crimson Tide prospect to be a first-round selection. As a native Georgian, Branch excelled in 2022 as the most consistent playmaker in Alabama’s defensive secondary. He finished with 90 tackles (third on the team), 14 stops for loss (second on the team), three sacks, seven pass breakups, two quarterback hurries, two interceptions, and a 65-yard punt return touchdown.
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The 6-foot, 193-pounder dominated Kansas State in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
He impressed NFL scouts with his versatility and playmaking skills, totaling a career-high 12 tackles, four tackles for loss (team-high), a sack, and an interception. Branch picked up first-team All-American honors from CBS Sports, ESPN, and Pro Football Focus. He grabbed second-team All-American honors from the Associated Press and got second-team All-SEC honors from it.
Mike Renner, an NFL Draft analyst for PFF, has Branch as his top safety prospect for the draft.
Top 10 Safeties in the 2023 NFL Draft, via @PFF_Mike ♨️ pic.twitter.com/7I1UcXYPYg
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 9, 2023
Jordan Battle, Branch’s former teammate for the Crimson Tide, is No. 6 on Renner’s top 10 for safeties. Branch’s versatility to pressure quarterbacks, stop the run, make crushing hits on receivers/tight ends, and play in coverage fits the mold of today’s safety in the National Football League. Someone will roll the dice on him in the latter portion of the first round.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
