DETROIT – Brian Branch wasn’t the first player drafted by the Detroit Lions this spring. Or the second. Or even the third.
But he might be the best.
Just three games into his NFL career, the second-round pick out of Alabama has arguably been the most valuable player in both of Detroit’s wins.
The Lions have gotten nice contributions from first-round picks Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell, but neither has been as impactful as the second-round picks -- Branch and Sam LaPorta.
LaPorta, a tight end out of Iowa, has quickly become one of quarterback Jared Goff’s favorite targets, hauling in 18 passes for 186 yards. He caught his first touchdown Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons -- a 45-yard strike that put the Lions up 10-3 in the first half.
But even LaPorta’s production can’t measure up to what Branch has meant to the Lions through three games.
In his debut, Branch intercepted a tipped pass from Patrick Mahomes and returned it for a touchdown. Mahomes is the best player in the NFL, and the Lions won the game by one point, so it doesn’t get much more important or impressive than that play.
Branch was even better this weekend, as he seemed to be in on every single play. He led the team with 11 solo tackles, three tackles for loss, and two pass break-ups.
The rookie made a number of key plays in space, including tackles for loss against both of Atlanta’s bruising running backs, Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier. If Branch didn’t make those tackles, Robinson and Allgeier were going to run for a long time.
He was also tasked with covering the likes of of Kyle Pitts and Drake London one-on-one, and was more than up for the task. He was glued to London on a critical fourth-down incompletion and knocked another pass loose with a big hit. A screen to Pitts was doomed when Branch sniffed it out and brought him down for no gain.
The Lions badly needed a win this week, and it was the defense that delivered one. It’s not an exaggeration to say Branch was the most important and consistent contributor to that defensive dominance.
General manager Brad Holmes has made a name for himself as an elite drafter, and last year’s first-round pick, Aidan Hutchinson, also played a major role in Sunday’s win.
But Branch looks like an absolute steal at No. 45 overall. That has a chance to be one of the best on a long list of great selections by Holmes.
