The Detroit Lions were pleased with Brian Branch’s debut season, and they have even more on his plate for the future.
Brian Branch, the Detroit Lions’ rookie defensive back, had an outstanding season, but the franchise has even bigger expectations for the 22-year-old defense in the future.
The fact that the Lions did not sign a safety in free agency indicated that they intended to play Branch—who was almost exclusively a nickel cornerback last season—at safety more frequently in the future. While coach Dan Campbell stated that they are still seeking for additional safety help, he essentially confirmed that this is the course Branch is on.
“Branch has got flexibility to be able to play the safety position, we believe, here in time,” Campbell went on to say. “We are already quite optimistic about the nickel. He will only get better. It’s really, we do believe he’ll be able to get there, it’s how fast do you get him there.”
Last year, Branch changed their entire plans in the secondary with how well he was playing in training camp. C.J. Gardner-Johnson entered camp as the starting nickel, with Kerby Joseph and Tracy Walker heading up the safety spots. But Branch was so dominant at nickel with the second-team defense that he forced Gardner-Johnson back to safety and Walker to the bench.
The Lions can’t help but see the similarities between Branch and Gardner-Johnson. It’s clear they want Branch on a similar career arc, where he can be the versatile piece that Gardner-Johnson has been since entering the league first as a nickel corner.
“Ducey was the same way when we got him in New Orleans,” Campbell said. “It was, ‘Man, is he a safety (or) nickel?’ When we just let him play nickel, he just really exploded. Now you see, here he is later in his career and he can really do both. He really grew in both areas. It’s just a matter of how fast he can get there.”
The Lions won’t rush the process. They are thrilled with what Branch is doing at nickel right now, and they don’t want to mess with it. Last year, they tried to share some of his time in practice at safety, but scaled back when it proved to be a little too much for a rookie who was still learning the system. Beyond that, it’s not entirely clear if Detroit has a capable backup nickel who could take over if/when he drops back to safety.
That said, Campbell clearly believes Branch is capable of playing safety, and having a full offseason to learn the position may be the time to start adding to the young defensive back’s plate.
“Now he’s been in the system a year. He understands,” Campbell said. “He has got a whole (new) understanding of the nickel position, which helps. Now, he can start really diving into the safety (position).”
It’s unclear what that would mean for Detroit’s current starting safeties: Joseph and Ifeatu Melifonwu. Would one be pushed off the field in certain subpackages? Will the Lions bring back more three-safety looks? That’s all to be determined. But, for now, the Lions seem thrilled about the potential of having another versatile piece in their secondary.
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