Lions trade up for versatile Alabama safety Brian Branch, who has 'that dawg mentality'

Allen Park — After making three straight selections that appeared to be ahead of schedule, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes on Friday night finally got a player who probably shouldn’t have been on the board.

The Lions traded up with the Packers to select Alabama safety and projected first-rounder Brian Branch with the No. 45 pick in the second round of the NFL Draft. Detroit sent picks No. 48 and No. 159 to Green Bay in return. Branch was the last player attending the draft to be selected.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity just to walk on stage, shake the commissioner's hand, see the fans and how they react. I'm blessed, just to be able to do that," Branch told local media Friday night.

And yes: He is a "Dan Campbell guy."

"I just feel like I have all the intangibles that coach Dan wants, that dawg mentality," Branch said. "That's what I got, and that's in me. Nobody else can take that from me."

More: Get to know new Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch

A Georgia native who attended the same high school (Sandy Creek) as Lions Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson, Branch becomes the second Alabama player taken by the Lions this draft after Jahmyr Gibbs went 12th overall. The Lions have also selected two Iowa Hawkeyes.

"Credit to those programs, they just to a good job. (Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz), like I was saying about (Alabama coach Nick Saban), you just kind of know what kind of player you're getting," Holmes said.

Branch (6-feet, 190 pounds) is the consensus top safety in this year's draft. He played 12 games for Alabama during its 2020 national championship season. After making seven starts in 2021, he became a full-time starter this past season and was named as a first-team All-American. He made 90 tackles, including 14 for loss, with three sacks and two interceptions.

Branch played 67.1% of his snaps last season at the nickel position and 16% in the box. He missed only three tackles on 77 attempts and just four total over his college career, per Pro Football Focus. He played all phases of special teams. Versatility is an attractive part of Branch's game — but according to Holmes, who said he wasn't expecting Branch to be available at the 45th pick, it wasn't the defining trait.

More: One stop for The Detroit News' complete Lions NFL Draft coverage

"If you just had football players in caps, in black and white, that's what he is," Holmes said. "That's just the way that he plays the game, whether he is playing nickel…his nickel stuff is really good. He's one of the better tacklers that I saw on the field this year…but he just plays the game like how we play, like the style that we want to play.

"He's very instinctive. He's very physical. He's one of the better tacklers, very athletic. The guy can bend, change directions. He's got good size. And he was another one that, when he came in on his visit, just kind of looking him in his eye, you could just feel him. You could just feel that he wants to be great. That put him over the top for me."

Branch's role at nickel safety is likely blocked surprise offseason addition Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. With Tracy Walker coming back from a knee injury and Kerby Joseph fresh off an impressive rookie year, it isn't immediately clear where Branch fits into the picture for 2023. Even if it obstructs his path to an immediate starting role, he said he's excited to learn under Gardner-Johnson.

"Being a rookie, coming into this league, I can learn from him. He did this and he's one of the greatest to do it," Branch said. "Just being able to play along(side) him, that means a lot to me. I'd say it's a bit of an advantage, just to have him next to me and be able to learn from him."

If there's a knock on Branch, it's his measurables. He possesses a Relative Athletic Score of 5.27. He performed below-average in the shuttle, 40-yard dash, and vertical. Though he's considered undersized, Branch's footwork and versatility make him a promising pro defender.

The Lions made a trade earlier in the draft, moving down from the No. 6 pick in a deal with the Cardinals.

nbianchi@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @nolanbianchi