Fans of the Los Angeles Rams have faced reality: The 2023 NFL draft is their best hope of being in a more jovial mood now that the first month of free agency passed.
This time, the Rams won’t have to wait until after selection No. 100 to learn who will represent the franchise’s future as they hold the 36th pick. Bleacher Report NFL analyst Brent Sobleski wrote on Thursday, April 6 that he believes L.A. is in a better position now than in years past.
“Los Angeles sits near the top of the second frame, and it should be considered a valuable selection. A first-round-caliber player will likely fall into the team’s lap,” he said.
But one talent Sobleski has in mind falling to the Rams? A prospect he called top-rated for his position group: Safety Brian Branch out of Alabama.
Brian Branch’s Draft Potential
An Alabama defender who falls in the second round has got to feel like nabbing a top 10 talent for certain teams — especially for ones in dire need of defensive retooling.
In the case of the Rams, the safety room is getting a complete overhaul with both starters Taylor Rapp and Nick Scott off to the AFC with the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals, respectively. Sobleski is one who’s in the category of thinking the Rams need to find the replacement for both defenders right away in the draft. And there’s no better option at this spot than Branch.
“Alabama’s Brian Branch is the class’ top-rated safety. To be fair, the position class can be considered weak overall. However, landing a top prospect at a position of need would be the best-case scenario for the Rams, who lost both of last year’s starters — Taylor Rapp and Nick Scott — in free agency,” Sobleski wrote.
Rapp and Scott were more on the box defender side as safeties who can step up and snuff out the run. Although Rapp proved some moments that he can be a capable ball-hawk with nine interceptions in his four seasons in L.A. (three with two picks or four). Branch, though, is a defender who can be plugged in more than just one safety spot and starred on a Crimson Tide defense that often requires lining up in a number of areas.
“Branch is a modern hybrid with the capability of playing all over a defense and even lining up at corner,” Sobleski wrote.
But for a talent like Branch who plays in a scheme that’s pumped out NFL talent, what’s the dilemma in why he’s fallen out of the day one picture of the draft?
“The defensive back’s biggest issue is he lacks a top gear with a 4.58-second 40-yard dash,” Sobleski wrote.
Brian Branch’s Potential as a Ram
Here’s another reality aspect the Rams are facing for 2023: They’ve got to nail this early pick, as their 36th selection is more than likely going to be someone they feel can start immediately and not sit and learn.
Branch, if taken into the “Rams House,” is built to get plugged in right away after starring for Nick Saban.
Though he was used more in a nickelback role for the Tide, he proves he can make the game-changing center field play:
Brian Branch plays the ball perfectly and gets the win for the Crimson Tide
Here’s where he can additionally answer the questions if he’s “NFL ready:” He won this battle against future top 10 pick and 1,100-yard receiver from 2022 Garrett Wilson:
Brian Branch 1-on-1 against Garrett Wilson as a true freshman
And if he’s aligned in the slot to begin his NFL career, or gets asked to fill that role, he’s a forcer of incompletions:
Last season, Brian Branch was targeted three times from the slot. He allowed no catches and had four pass breakups. When you have more PBUs than targets, that says a lot about your range.
The lack of blazing speed he has is compensated for his smarts, hands and willingness to line up in more than one area of the field. In a draft where the Rams are needing trench and cornerback help, a safety like Branch would be hard to pass on if available — considering the Rams have two safety spots to fill there.
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Rams Named Fit for Top-Rated Alabama Draft Prospect