One of the things that made Brian Branch appealing, especially in light of an inexplicable fall to the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, was his versatility. The Detroit Lions surely had some plans to deploy that versatility during his rookie season, but he wound up mostly playing slot corner and had very nice season (74 total tackles,13 pass breakups, three interceptions, seven tackles for loss) as Pro Football Focus graded him as a top-15 cornerback.
Branch made the move to safety for the 2024 season, with more than half of his slot corner snaps (163 of 316, counting the playoffs, according to PFF) coming after Carlton Davis was sidelined for the season by a broken jaw and the Lions had to reconfigure their secondary alignment.
Branch was even better in his second season, with 109 total tackles, 16 pass breakups, eight tackles for loss and four interceptions as he earned his first career Pro Bowl nod. He was PFF's fifth-highest graded safety overall, with the best run defense grade (90.8) at the position.
Branch's level of versatility is rare, to say the least. Playing two different positions in the secondary at a high level in as many NFL seasons is a unique feat.
Versatile 2025 draft prospect draws apt comparison to Brian Branch
ESPN's Matt Miller went through the 12 (!) players who have first-round grades for him right now in the 2025 draft class, with NFL player comps for each.
For Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron, who could be a cornerback or a safety in the NFL, Miller's comp is Branch.
"There will be a conversation about Barron's best NFL position, but I'm a fan of how he plays football. The 2024 Jim Thorpe Award winner had five interceptions and 10 pass breakups in his senior season and worked his way from a Day 3 prospect last summer all the way to my top 10.
"Coaches at Texas rave about Barron's instincts and leadership, and those traits show up on the tape. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder has inside-outside versatility thanks to experience at both slot and outside cornerback, and some scouts think his best position is at the nickel."
Last season at Texas, according to PFF, Barron mostly played wide (679 snaps) or slot corner (122 snaps) with a noticeable number of snaps in the box (142). In 2022 and 2023, he played the most of his snaps in the slot but played in the slot and in the box too.
Barron's primary position in the NFL will be determined by the team that drafts him, and it would behoove that team to stay flexible in that regard. Branch has set a high bar for being a versatile piece in a secondary, but Barron is worthy of the comparison.
