Dan Campbell and the Detroit Lions have not been secretive about the hopes they had on drafting Devon Witherspoon in the first round last year. They had the 6th pick, directly after the Seahawks, and were ready to pounce on the do-everything cornerback to turbo boost their secondary. In this version of the multiverse, the Seahawks called Witherspoon’s name and the Lions were left with players they did not deem worth of the 6th overall pick so they traded back. The deal with the Arizona Cardinals netted a 1st and 2nd round pick that the Lions used on game-breaking running back Jahmyr Gibbs and all-rookie tight end Sam LaPorta. Neither satisfied the need in the secondary. That would come when they used their 2nd round pick to take a player some had projected as a first round pick, Brian Branch out of Alabama.
Branch was used in a similar fashion to Witherspoon. He was a slot corner who was physical enough to support against the run and blitz on occasion. He was named to the All-Rookie team, and finished 5th in defensive rookie of the year voting. I asked D.K. Metcalf about Branch earlier this week.
“He’s probably their best defensive back,” Metcalf said. “[Branch] is interchangeable from nickel to safety and he can do it all. He can run, he can hit, he can cover. So it’s going to be a good challenge for us this week.”
There were some analysts who even held Branch in higher regard than Witherspoon. I asked Metcalf in he saw similarities between the two players.
“No. They are two different people in my opinion,” Metcalf said. “(Devon) Witherspoon, I get to go against him every day. He’s one of probably the best defensive backs that I’ve ever seen in person day in and day out.”
Metcalf elaborated on what he thinks sets Witherspoon apart.
“Just hearing him talk,” Metcalf said. “Even when we were at training camp, he was calling out my routes or somebody else’s routes just from stuff he’s seen and I even asked him, ‘Why did you say that?’ He was like, ‘I saw by your alignment that you weren’t going out so you only had to go in.’ That’s just crazy that a second-year defensive back is already thinking lightyears ahead of that.”
Independent of any comparisons with Witherspoon, Branch is undeniably central to what the Lions do on defense. He was versatile enough to switch from nickel corner to safety this season when the Lions found out they would also be without starter Ifeatu Melifonwu.
Detroit will probably be at their best in the secondary when Melifonwu returns and Branch can slide back into nickel. Branch, though, was playing very well as a safety.
He was second on the team in run stops with 11, trailing only Aidan Hutchinson who has 12. He limited opposing receivers in his area to a 55.2 passer rating and already picked off a pass.
His replacement is likely to be undrafted free agent rookie Brandon Joseph, who played at Notre Dame last year. Joseph replaced Branch when he exited the game against Arizona with the concussion.
Joseph is more of a classic safety, without the flexibility to move into slot the way Branch can. Joseph may also not be the run defender Branch has been.
The loss of Branch could have a sneaky impact on what has been stellar run defense from the Lions thus far. Marcus Davenport, their defensive end opposite Hutchinson, has been lauded for his ability to set the edge in the run game. He was lost for the season last week. Now, the team loses another key contributor in that run defense.
Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn loves to blitz. It will be interesting to see if being down to his third-string safety will impact his willingness to bring pressure, and if he does, whether it will be as effective.
The caveat on all this is that Branch was listed as Doubtful on the injury report with an illness. We do not know if it is related to the concussion or something else, and there remains a chance that he recovers enough to play in the game.
Should he have to sit out, the Lions injuries are now looking comparable to the Seahawks. Frank Ragnow is an All-Pro center who Jared Goff relies on for protection adjustments. He is out. Davenport is out. Derek Barnes, their starting linebacker who has been having a great season is out. The news about Boye Mafe missing the game certainly was not great for Seattle. Branch’s absence, though, could play a much bigger role in the outcome of the game.