2023 NFL Draft: Could Brian Branch Fill the Jaguars' Biggest Need?

After a stellar career at Alabama, could Brian Branch be the answer for the Jaguars in the slot in 2023 and beyond?

The 2023 NFL Draft season is upon us.

Among the 32 teams building their rosters to compete for the next Lombardi Trophy is the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold nine picks in this season’s draft -- including the No. 24 overall pick.

As we march closer and closer to April’s draft, we will look at individual draft prospects and how they would potentially fit with the Jaguars. Instead of looking at any negatives, we are going to look at what the players do well and if they could match what the Jaguars need at the specific role or position.

Today, we take a look at Alabama defensive back Brian Branch, one of the top defenders in the 2023 Draft class. What makes Branch special and could he be a fit for the Jaguars at No. 24? We break it down below. 

Overview

A Georgia native, Branch was one of the nation's top defensive back recruits in the 2020 class. Rated a four-star recruit by 247Sports, Branch was the No. 3 safety prospect in the country. This included a final ranking as the No. 8 player in Georgia and the No. 61 player in the nation.

Branch received over a dozen offers out of high school, but he ultimately committed to Alabama in 2019 over schools such as Georgia, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Ohio State, Michigan, and Tennessee.

Branch played right away for the Crimson Tide defense, appearing in 12 games and starting three as a true freshman. He recorded 27 tackles, seven pass breakups and two interceptions. He ended 2020 tied for third in the SEC in passes defended among all freshman defenders.

Branch appeared in all 15 games for Alabama in 2021, making impact plays in Alabama's biggest games, including six tackles and two pass breakups vs. Cincinnati. He recorded 55 tackles, five for loss and one sack. He also led the team in pass breakups with nine, while adding a fumble recovery.

2022 saw Branch start every single game for Alabama, playing the "star" position in Nick Saban's defense. He was named a second-team All-American by the Associated Press and a second-team All-SEC selection by the AP after recording 90 tackles. This included 14 tackles for loss, three sacks, seven pass breakups, and two interceptions. 

What Brian Branch Does Well

Branch could be found in one place in Alabama's defense: in the slot. He played a hybrid role in Alabama's defense but was more or less their starting nickel defender, playing a big role in underneath coverage, as a blitzer and in terms of setting the edge against the run. 

Branch played that role exceptionally, accepting every challenge that comes with defending the slot. As a pass-defender, he has quick feet to click and close in off coverage. He drives downhill with good acceleration and has the strength to stop receivers for no gain after the catch. 

Branch's quick feet show up when playing against stack formations, which demanded him to quickly read the route and then close from off coverage in a matter of seconds. He has the foot speed and quickness to run with receivers to all levels of the field, even if he may not be a 4.35 player. 

Branch has the ball skills downfield to be more than just an underneath defender, too. He has a good feel for spacing and route recognition, and he is efficient when playing the ball in the air, rarely losing at the catch point despite his smaller size and frame. 

In terms of run defense, Branch flies in to fit against the run as the fill player on a consistent basis. While he isn't the biggest player on the field, he brings a lot of physicality with his hits and is able to stop running backs in their tracks when he meets them in the hole. This same physicality and aggressiveness serves him well as a blitzer off the edge, which helped him create several sacks and pressures in college.

How Brian Branch Would Fit With the Jaguars

The Jaguars are in dire need of answers in the slot in 2023. Darious Williams was an extremely effective and efficient cover man during the final stretch of the season when the Jaguars moved him to outside cornerback, but his numbers among slot cornerbacks through the first 13 weeks of the season are not kind to him. He allowed the fourth-most yards, fourth-most yards after catch, and seventh-most catches among all slot corners in that span, with the Jaguars coming to the conclusion by the end of the year that his true home is on the outside. 

"Yeah, I think so. I think so. I think it’s a natural spot for him," Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said after the season. "He did a great job when we put him back out there, he did a great job when he was in the nickel. I think we’re a better team with him on the perimeter.”

The Jaguars' best nickel in 2022 was Tre Herndon, but he is set to be a free agent in 2023. Herndon is a better tackler and run defender than he is a pure cover man, and his best spot might be as a No. 4 cornerback who provides inside/outside depth. In short, even if Herndon returns, the Jaguars still need a slot corner. If he doesn't, then they might even need two. 

Considering Branch is a pro-ready cover man from the slot and has proven he is willing to fit against the run, he is a solid fit for the Jaguars' needs. He is also a good blitzer from the slot and off the edge when as a weakside defender, something Mike Caldwell covets in his defense. All in all, Branch makes a lot of sense in terms of fit for the Jaguars.

Verdict

In terms of what the Jaguars need on defense in 2023, there might not be a better present-fix than Brian Branch. 

A top recruit who was able to start in three different seasons and produce under Nick Saban, Branch is likely the top pure nickel prospect in this year's draft. There will be questions about whether he can play safety after he logged just over 100 snaps as a pure safety in college, but he has the cover skills to win against slot receivers, can be an impact defender against the run and as a blitzer, plus has the ball skills to create explosive plays. 

So, should Branch be an option at No. 24? If he is there -- which he very well could be since his projection is mostly just as a nickel -- then he should be considered. His lack of versatility in terms of where he can play makes me hesitant to say it should be a no-brainer pick, but he would solve the nickel issue for the next several years with ease. 

For all of our 2023 NFL Draft profiles, click below.

• CB Kelee Ringo, Georgia