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After failing to get a defensive player picked in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the University of Alabama could pick two players for the April venue.
Edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. should be in the top five. Safety’s Brian Branch emerged in his first round as his second prospect for the Crimson Tide. The Georgia native Branch has been Alabama’s defensive most consistent playmaker in his secondary in 2022. He had 90 tackles (third on the team), 14 stops lost (second on the team), 3 sacks, 7 pass breakups, 2 quarterback rushes, 2 interceptions, and It ended with a 65-yard punt return touchdown.
The 6-foot, 193-pounder dominated Kansas at the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
He impressed NFL scouts with his versatility and playmaking skills, with a career-high 12 tackles, four tackles for loss (team-high), sacks and interceptions total. Branch earned All-American First Team honors from CBS Sports, ESPN, and Pro Football his focus. He earned Second Team All-American honors from his AP and then Second Team All-His SEC honors.
PFF’s NFL Draft Analyst Mike Renner lists Branch as the frontrunner in the draft.
Top 10 Safety in the 2023 NFL Draft @PFF_mic ♨️ pic.twitter.com/7I1UcXYPYg
— PFF College (@PFF_College) January 9, 2023
Former teammate of the Crimson Tide branch, Jordan Battle, is sixth in Renner’s top 10 safety. The versatility of the branch, which pressures quarterbacks, stops runs, hits receivers/tight ends hard, and plays in coverage, fits the mold of today’s national football safety in his league. Later in the first round, someone rolls the dice on him.
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