He was thought to be a first-round draft pick, but Brian Branch is showing the Detroit Lions why he’s a second-round steal.
Branch heard his name called at No. 45 overall in the NFL Draft. As a versatile defensive back, he is learning every position in the secondary to quickly get on the field for the Lions. Branch grew into a Swiss army knife for the University of Alabama, producing an outstanding season at ‘Star’ (nickel) in 2022. He was all over the field as a junior, totaling 90 tackles, 14 stops for loss, three sacks, seven pass breakups, two quarterback hurries, and two interceptions. Branch had one of his best games in the Allstate Sugar Bowl against Kansas State. He made plays everywhere, including an interception, to help the Crimson Tide to a 45-20 win.
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Brian Duker, a defensive backs coach for the Lions, is excited about what the team has with Branch.
The Lions got a steal in Brian Branch in the second round and it’s showing off early in minicamp 💪 pic.twitter.com/GLG2SrFKYA
— Touchdown Alabama (@TDAlabamaMag) June 15, 2023
Duker sees Branch as the same player the Lions fell in love with on tape. It will be exciting to watch him in the fall.
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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.
