Athletic Profile
Height: 5115
Weight: 190
Arm Length: 30 3/4”
40 Time: 4.58
Vertical: 34 1/2”
Broad Jump: 1005
3 Cone: N/A
Relative Athletic Score: 5.27
* Indicates Recorded At Pro Day
Statistics
2022: 74 TKL / 3.3% MIS / 7 PR / 6.7 Y/REC / 6 PBU / 2 NT
2021: 45 TKL / 0% MIS / 10 PR / 10.2 Y/REC / 4 PBU / 0 INT
Pros
Tackling
Football IQ
Short Area Burst
Zone Coverage
Motor
Instincts
Run Defense
Versatility
Cons
Top End Speed
Ball Production
Man Coverage
Role in Base Defense
Summary
Brian Branch entered Alabama as a 4-Star recruit from the state of Georgia in 2020. Fast forward too 2023 and he is one the best overall “football players” in this draft class. The versatile safety is one of the smartest players in the entire class and rarely makes mistakes. Listed as a safety Branch lines up all over, from deep safety to on the line of scrimmage. He plays a majority of his snaps in the slot as an overhang where his instincts and short area quickness thrive. Branch isn’t the biggest player at roughly 6 foot sub-200 lbs but you would not know it from the way he fills versus the run. He plays with excellent leverage in the run game and has not fear mixing it up with the big boys. Quick change of direction skills and an uncanny feel for the game allows him to slip around blockers to make impact plays. As a tackler there are few better in all of college football. Branch does an excellent job of coming in at a controlled pace and wrapping up even the most elusive of ball carriers. As a coverage player he is excellent in zone defense where his instincts and ability to drive on the ball thrive. Coming into 2022 there were some concerns about the lack of ball production on Branch's resume, but his tape this season should have put those to bed. There are also questions about his ability to hold up in man coverage given his frame and lack of elite speed but with his footwork and ability to manipulate leverage he should be more than fine at the next level. The questions about his speed and range also crop up when talking about his ability to be a true safety. Branch’s most impactful home is in the slot but teams taking a first round safety still need him to be able to play a more traditional role in base, even if the league plays more nickel than ever. While he may not have the top end speed on a stopwatch, his acceleration ability and intelligence allow him to defend all parts of the field from a variety of alignments. Brian Branch is the perfect player for the modern day NFL given his football IQ, versatility and short area athleticism. Overall, Branch should be a Day 1 impact player that will improve an NFL team in terms of run defense, zone coverage and flexibility from the first day he enters the building. He will likely be the first safety off the board and could even sneak into the Top-20 picks as the type of contributions he brings have never been more valuable than in today's NFL.
Grade: 6.87 - Mid to Late 1st Round Value (Potential Starter)
Games Watched: Kansas State (2022), LSU (2022), Mississippi State (2022), Texas (2022), Texas A&M (2022)
Pro Comp: Jalen Pitre