Steelers Scouting Report: Alabama S Brian Branch
The Pittsburgh Steelers could have some interest in a high-flying safety out of Alabama who could be the next superstar to join the defense.
Alabama's Brian Branch is a former four-star recruit, originally from Fayetteville, Georgia. He left Sandy Creek High School, which also produced NFL defensive backs such as Mike Hilton and Isaiah Johnson, as the program's all-time leader in interceptions.
Branch is a rare talent who came right into Tuscaloosa, started right away as a freshman, and hasn't looked back since. The junior safety has almost exclusively played the "star" position for head coach Nick Saban's defense. Branch was named first-team All-American by basically every major sporting outlet, including ESPN, CBS Sports and PFF.
If you're familiar with Saban's defensive philosophy, you've probably at least heard of the "star" position, most notably made famous by current Steelers superstar safety Minkah Fitzpatrick who played this role for the majority of his collegiate career. The star position is essentially his term for slot corner which requires Branch to be able to defend both slot receivers and tight ends while also being heavily involved in Alabama's run fits.
Depending on the offense's play call, Branch has to either operate like a linebacker against the run or a corner when teams elect to pass. He's got plenty of experience playing in the box with only modest exposures to playing in the deep centerfield area as a true free safety.
Strengths
At 6-0, 193 pounds, Branch is a phenomenal tackler who takes good angles to the ball carrier and always feels in control upon arrival. Branch can run sideline to sideline, stay square, chop his feet before getting low, and execute pristine tackling technique when wrapping up ball carriers. Even as a defensive back, he's got solid stopping power, capable of delivering the occasional big blow but most notably isn't a player that gets dragged for extra yards after contact.
Simply put, Branch is remarkably reliable and just doesn't miss tackles which is insanely valuable for any defense.
Branch is very instinctual, and trusts both his eyes and keys, playing even faster than he will likely run at the NFL Combine. Despite what his frame would suggest, Branch has zero issues taking on blocks at the point of attack. Whether that be in the box on runs plays to his side or in the screen game, he offers an enticing brand of physicality unmatched by most players at his position in this draft class.
Sometimes physicality isn't even necessary, as you'll observe him slicing underneath potential blockers or flat-out beating them to the spot to make the stop.
Beyond what he does as a run defender, Branch is also an effective player in coverage. Some of his best work comes when he's operating inside, carrying receivers vertically while maintaining inside leverage and walling off the middle of the field in trail technique.
Branch has clean, efficient footwork and transitions nicely at many different angles which allows him to remain sticky throughout in both man and zone coverage. It's rare to see him caught out of phase in coverage as he seems to be consistently glued tight to the hips of opposing receivers.
Athletically, Branch is pretty twitched up with nice speed and change of direction ability to mirror routes. In off-coverage, he can trigger downhill in a hurry, getting to his intended spot in a flash before either separating the football from the ball carrier or using his length to get in the passing lanes. He's fluid and can effectively flip his hips with ease before shooting his offhand to make contact with the receiver up the field.
Versatility is obviously one of his calling cards as you can see, but he's shown the ability to shine against multiple different body types in coverage. Whether it be against bigger tight ends, smaller, shiftier slot receivers or speed demons that offenses line up in the slot to try and get vertical, Branch can handle all of those archetypes.
As a defensive coordinator, you can find solace in having Branch on the field at all times because he's going to get the job done regardless of what potential matchup comes his way.
If you're a defensive coordinator that likes to get creative and draw up exotic blitz looks up front, Branch can also be weaponized in that regard as well. He has the ability to disguise his intentions until the last possible second and times the snap incredibly well, sometimes even crossing the line of scrimmage before linemen are fully out of their stance yet.
When met with running backs, Branch brings the heat, blowing up guys attempting to help out in pass protection. Even when Branch doesn't fully get there to bring down the quarterback, his pressure will either affect the quarterback's accuracy or he'll get his hands up in the air to get a hand on the football.
It's become a bit cliche in football circles to hear the "star" position referred to as Saban's eyes on the field or an extension of his brain but Branch is the latest example of that trust. He understands leverage extremely well and always knows where his safety or hole player help is within the design of the defense. He's a savvy player in zone coverage who works well with his eyes on the quarterback, reading and reacting in the back end. He also showcases a good understanding of down and distance, as well as potential route concepts and a general feel for what offenses are trying to do on any given play.
Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games and Branch played in a plethora of big games at Alabama, oftentimes making massive plays at critical junctures during the contest.
Branch was one of the few top draft picks to play in his team's bowl game this past season and put on one of the best performances of the season, 11 tackles and nine stops while also notching an awesome interception in zone coverage. Earlier in his junior season, Branch saved a touchdown as the pole runner in cover 5, batting down a pass in the end zone as time expired.
Turn on any of Alabama's playoff games in recent years, and you'll see Branch standing out in a positive manner.
Weaknesses
While it hasn't been an issue on film, Branch's frame is noticeably on the slighter side and could definitely stand to put on a few pounds of muscle especially seeing as he'll be relied upon to cover bigger athletes at the next level. How his brand of physicality holds up at the next level is to be determined.
Branch can be somewhat inconsistent at locating the football, particularly whenever he's in recovery mode which limits some of his playmaking opportunities. He was penalized five times over his final season in college which is noteworthy, and the examples found on film were due to either grabbiness or not turning his head to find the football in flight.
He can play a bit too flat-footed at times instead of maintaining his space, protecting his cushion in off coverage. His transitions and trigger reps could be even faster if his back pedal was a tad lower out of his stance. He had a notably difficult time navigating through rub routes and switch releases, giving up big plays, some of which were converted and others which could have been if there were a better on-target pass.
You'd like to see just a few more splash plays in the secondary given how insanely talented he is and the amount of good positions that he puts himself in.
While he comes with an extraordinary amount of experience, he has very limited reps at free safety, rarely getting the chance to operate as the post player on defense. The Minkah Fitzpatrick comparisons will undoubtedly get thrown around due to their similarities in college, but it should be noted that Fitzpatrick did have the chance to play more of a true safety role when his teammate Eddie Jackson was out with an injury making Branch's transition more of a projection.
Numbers to Note
- Career totals: 172 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, three interceptions, 23 passes defended
- 2022 totals: 90 total tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, two interceptions, nine passes defended
- 3.3% misses tackle rate, 9th best among power five defenders with at least 50% of defensive snaps played (PFF)
- 25 snaps at free safety, 136 in the box, 569 at slot corner (PFF)
- 71.5 passer rating allowed in the slot, 7th best among power five safeties with at least 50% of defensive snaps played (PFF)
Projection
Branch's evaluation is fairly simple, he's a legit skeleton key for any NFL defense, whether that's primarily operating as a slot corner or making a transition to more of a traditional safety role. The versatility is attractive, but his well-rounded skill set as a run defender and reliable tackler to go along with his ability to blanket receivers in coverage makes him extremely valuable.
Branch should be a day-one starter and a high-level productive player for a long time.
Most of Branch's weaknesses are things that are coachable, and at 21 years old, he's still got plenty of time to continue to grow.
Every draft cycle, there are a handful of players that get designated as "my guys" throughout the draft process and Branch is the latest entry to the 2022 squad. Members of this list are guys that I would have no issue banging the table for in a hypothetical draft room just to ensure that they end up on my team.
Opinions on positional versatility aside, Branch is one of the absolute best defensive players in this entire class, someone that should morph into an impact player in a positionless NFL defensive landscape. With respect to the many talented players in the class, there should be no debate about who the best slot corner/safety is in the 2023 draft class.
From a Steelers perspective, he can obviously fill many of the same roles that Terrell Edmunds currently occupies but regardless of whether Edmunds and/or Demontae Kazee returns in free agency, Branch would provide a massive upgrade in the slot in their nickel and dime packages.
Predicting safety landing spots in the draft process is tough, but it's difficult to imagine a scenario where Pittsburgh would not be especially interested in Branch if he's available to them early on during the draft weekend.
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