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.
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.
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 missed only three tackles on 77 attempts. Over his entire career at Alabama, he only missed four tackles total, per Pro Football Focus. His role with the Crimson Tide is similar to that of new veteran Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson while he was with the Saints. 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.
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