It is officially a period of transition for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tom Brady has retired for good this time, and the days of competing for a Super Bowl are in the rear-view mirror. It was an amazing ride while it lasted, but now it’s time to rebuild.
The first step in that rebuild will surely be the 2023 NFL Draft in a couple of weeks. With the 19th overall pick and nine picks total, the Buccaneers are hoping to get some key players to build around for the future. The team needs an infusion of young talent, and the draft is the best way to get it.
There are several players at several different positions that Tampa could take in the draft. Many are projecting the Bucs to take an offensive lineman in the first round, and given their weakness in that unit, it makes perfect sense to do so. However, one player who might be an even better fit for them than any offensive lineman is Alabama safety Brian Branch.
Without further ado, let’s go over why Branch would be a perfect addition to the Bucs’ defense.
3. Branch can help the Buccaneers’ run defense
In the past, Tampa Bay had one of the best-run defenses in the entire NFL. The Bucs ranked first in rushing yards allowed in 2019 and 2020, then ranked third in 2021. While the pass defense wasn’t great, the run defense still made the Bucs’ defense one of the better units in the league during those seasons.
However, this was far from the case in 2022. The Bucs’ run defense plummeted from third in the NFL all the way down to 15th. They allowed 120.7 rushing yards per game in 2022, nearly 30 more than their average from 2021.
Drafting a safety to fix the run defense may seem very strange at first. However, scouts have consistently praised Branch’s run defense on the second level. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein even listed “Diagnoses run and pursues runner with proper leverage and angles,” among Branch’s strengths. He won’t fix the run defense on his own, but he would definitely help quite a bit.
2. The Buccaneers need safety help
If there’s one area Tampa desperately needs more depth at, it’s probably safety. The Bucs did bring in Ryan Neal this offseason but lost Keanu Neal, Mike Edwards, and Logan Ryan. With nickel corner Sean Murphy-Bunting also departing in free agency, the Bucs’ secondary looks very thin right now.
With that in mind, fortifying the secondary in the draft is basically a necessity. It doesn’t necessarily have to come in the first round, but if the Bucs decide they want to do it then, Branch would be the best option because…
1. Branch can do it all
What makes Branch so intriguing as a prospect is his sheer versatility. He’s officially a safety, and is easily the best one in the draft, at that. However, he’s so much more than just a good player at one position.
At Alabama, Branch primarily lined up in the nickel but also played a good number of snaps in the box. He isn’t the fastest player in the world, but his athleticism is still good enough to succeed in the NFL. He also has surprising strength and is an excellent tackler, only missing four of 174 career attempts, per PFF.
Todd Bowles has his faults as a head coach, but the man certainly knows how to run a defense. A player with Branch’s skillset and versatility would be an absolute dream for him and the Bucs in general.
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