Brian

Branch

Branch is coming off an excellent Week 6 where he tallied two interceptions and a forced fumble in the Lions’ big win over the Cowboys. The NFC Defensive Player of the Week was limited due to a knee injury in the Lions’ first practice of Week 7. Nothing indicates yet that Branch is in danger of missing time, so expect him to play this week. Meanwhile, CB Carlton Davis (quad) did not practice.

Ragnow missed the Lions’ Week 4 win over the Seahawks due to his injury but has had additional time to recover thanks to their bye week. Ragnow suffered the partially torn pectoral in Week 3 and was hoping to play through it early on, but out of precaution, the team opted to play it “smart” buy sidelining him for at least one game. Campbell also said the team hopes to have safety Brian Branch back following the bye.

Branch took a helmet-to-helmet shot from Trey McBride in Week 3 and was listed on the injury report with a concussion earlier this week. He was removed from the injury report on Saturday. It’s possible his illness is related to the head injury. Branch has been a standout player for the Lions since being drafted in the second round last year. He has one intercpetion, two TFLs, and 22 total tackles this season.

Branch went on the PUP list ahead of training camp with a minor ankle issue but is good to go now. He started 9-of-15 games as a rookie in 2023. Branch proved to be an instant play-maker, tallying three interceptions, one forced fumble, and one sack. He took one of his picks to the house. His playing time should grow significantly in his second season.

Team reporter Tim Twentyman reports Branch underwent an offseason cleanup procedure on his ankle and is expected to return during training camp. Despite the nagging injury, Branch played very well in his hybrid safety/slot cornerback role, leading Lions defensive backs with his 79.0 PFF coverage grade.

Branch hurt his ankle Week 4 against the Packers, missing Week 5 against the Panthers. He starts out the week not participating in practice, indicating his Week 6 status is in jeopardy. Branch may play if he can practice later in the week, but the Lions secondary will be thin if he cannot.

Branch was carted from the Lions’ Week 4 game against the Packers and was listed as questionable to return. He was not able to make it back into the game. Lions coach Dan Campbell was non-committal on Branch’s Week 5 status, but that at least means his issue isn’t overly serious. Branch has four pass breakups and one pick this year.

The versatile, impressive rookie was getting blocked in the third quarter and went down after minimal contact. He could put little weight on his right foot as he made his way slowly to the sideline. He was then loaded up on a cart and taken to the locker room. An impact player in the slot through his first four games, Branch’s loss would be big for this on-the-rise defense ... is what we wrote before Branch managed to return following a new tape job. Crisis averted.

The Lions made it a point to strengthen their secondary this offseason. They did so by bringing in veterans Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, Emmanuel Moseley and Cameron Sutton. Branch was added to this group during the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft to bring versatility to the defensive backend. With the signing, the Lions have now signed every player from their 2023 rookie class. Branch will be able to line up as nickel back or safety in Defensive Coordinator Aaron Glenn’s defense. He should see early playing time based on skill and draft capital.

The Packers moved down three spots and picked up the No. 159 pick from the Lions. Branch (6’0/190) cut his teeth as a true freshman in 2020, logging reserve snaps until the post-season when he started the CFP semi-final and national championship game, recording 8 tackles, four stops, and two PBU while playing 113 reps. He started half of Bama’s games in 2021 but really emerged last year by rolling up 90 tackles, 14,0 TFL, and nine PBU for a masterful 89.5 PFF defensive grade en route to receiving First Team All-America accolades. Valued for his ability to cover shifty slot receivers at the line or drop back into single-high looks, Branch lined up on the slot receiver on 68% of his 1,642 career snaps. His ability to cover is first-class, allowing just one pass of more than 20 yards with a solid 86.4 PFF coverage grade in 2022. Branch is also a suffocating tackler who takes direct angles to the ball carrier and rarely lets prey escape his grasp, converting an astounding 116-of-119 tackle opportunities (2.5% miss rate) with 65 stops over the last two seasons. The drawback for Branch is his rather mundane 5.26 RAS reflects a worrisome lack of high-end traits for a player that is already undersized. Even so, Branch’s savant-like football instincts and proven success on CFB’s biggest stage make his overall profile greater than the sum of his parts.