Draft value is a funny thing. One day, you're reaching. The next, you're striking it rich. Lions GM Brad Holmes stepped to the podium after Day 2 of the draft and said with a smile, "I know they were kind of mad at me yesterday, so I looked at the mock drafts to make sure they’re aligned." The same critics who panned Holmes' picks of a running back and a linebacker in the first round were applauding his choice of defensive back Brian Brian in the second, 45th overall.
Holmes, if he's being honest, was surprised to see Branch on the board himself: "I didn’t think that he was going to be there, but we were jacked that he was.”
Branch was viewed by some analysts as the top defensive back in the draft. He did it all at Alabama, from safety to nickel to outside corner, from locking down receivers to taking down ball-carriers. For as dynamic as he can be in coverage, Branch also racked up 14 tackles for loss last season, most in the country by a defensive back and second in the SEC to only his teammate and defensive end (and third overall pick) Will Anderson.
"What stood out about Brian was really just, if you just had 'Football Player' in caps and just black and white, that’s what he is, just the way that he plays the game," said Holmes.
He plays the game much like his new teammate C.J. Gardner-Johnson, the do-everything, go-everywhere defensive back the Lions just signed in free agency. Gardner-Johnson might not be here long, a hired gun on a one-year deal who's looking to cash in next offseason. If he winds up elsewhere, the Lions will have a natural replacement for him in Branch.
"Being able to play along with him, I take it as a bit of an advantage, just to have him next to me and be able to learn from him," said Branch.
The Lions, to be clear, expect Branch to contribute from the jump. Branch expects the same, especially in a defense that values flexibility. When he visited with the Lions before the draft, Branch said Dan Campbell and the coaching staff told him "they like what I do, they like what I bring to the table and how versatile I am." Branch, who's been compared to Steelers three-time All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, will play anywhere in the secondary that he can make an impact. Which is everywhere.
"I’m trying to get on the field any way I can, whether it be corner, safety, nickel, just anywhere they want me," he said.
Branch, 6'0, 190 lb., played mostly nickel under Nick Saban. Under defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn in Detroit, he might play wherever Gardner-Johnson isn't. Campbell and the Lions talk frequently about "FBI:" football intelligence. NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein says Branch's "football intelligence is through the roof."
"He just plays the game how we play it and the style of how we want to play," said Holmes. "He’s very instinctive. Very physical. One of the better tacklers that I saw on film this year, especially for a DB. Very athletic. The guy can bend, change directions. He’s got good size.
"He's another one that when he came in on his visit, just kind of looking him in his eye, you can just feel that he wants to be great. That put it over the top for me."
Good luck getting over the top of Branch. Good luck getting over the top of this rebuilt Lions' secondary, which is suddenly littered with talent. A year after allowing the most yards per completion in the NFL, the Lions are poised to make quarterbacks and receivers earn every connection. And a day after Holmes was derided for spending first-round picks on Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell, we delighted in watching him land Branch at a discount.
Of course, his approach never changed: "We’re just always going to take the best football players. Same as it was night one, we do the same thing on the second night. Who is the best guy for us, the highest-rated guy? That’s what we’re doing and it’s been working so far."
Three drafts into Holmes' tenure, no one would argue that.
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