DETROIT – Rookie safety Brian Branch already looks like one of the best players on the Lions roster, and he probably wouldn’t even be in Detroit if it weren’t for the Green Bay Packers.
On Sunday, Branch led the Lions with 11 solo tackles, three tackles for loss, and two pass break-ups against the Atlanta Falcons. The Lions asked him to cover wide receivers and tight ends but also put him in space to make one-on-one tackles.
He was up for the challenge.
Branch was in coverage when the Falcons tried to hit Drake London on a critical fourth-down pass. He jarred the ball out of Kyle Pitts’ possession with a big hit on a third-down pass. He brought down both bruising running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier for negative yardage.
Most people learned Branch’s name during the opener, when he picked off a pass from Patrick Mahomes and returned it for a touchdown at Arrowhead Stadium. It was the most important play of the game, and even though the ball was tipped right to him, how often have we seen defensive backs drop that?
If Branch isn’t already the best defensive player on the roster, he’s close. Sunday was evidence that he’s ready to step into a much bigger role with C.J. Gardner-Johnson out long-term.
Ironically, it’s mostly thanks to the division-rival Packers that the Lions were able to draft Branch to begin with. General manager Brad Holmes didn’t think Branch was going to make it to the Lions at No. 48 overall, so he traded up with the Packers to No. 45 and selected the Alabama safety.
Green Bay actually traded the 48th pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and moved back to No. 50, selecting Michigan State wide receiver Jayden Reed. The Bucs took North Dakota State offensive lineman Cody Mauch at No. 48.
Maybe Reed and Mauch will turn into stars, but right now, it looks like the Lions got one of the steals of the draft. Branch has directly led the Lions to each of their first two victories this season.
On Thursday, the Packers will get a first-person look at Branch, as the Lions head to Lambeau Field for a first-place showdown.
Both teams are off to 2-1 starts after the Packers came back from a 17-0 deficit to beat the New Orleans Saints this weekend.
The last time the Lions went to Green Bay was the final week of 2022, when they knocked the Packers out of playoff contention and ended the Aaron Rodgers era. This game might not mean as much to Green Bay, but it’s even more important to the Lions.
Who knows, maybe Branch has another special performance in store.