Brian Branch holds the SS · Starter spot in Detroit Lions’s safety room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Brian Branch played 12 games in 2025 with a 96% snap share.

Brian Branch is a safety for the Detroit Lions after being selected 45th overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Alabama product appeared in three college seasons (2020-22), recording 172 total tackles, 23 pass defenses, and 19.5 tackles for loss. In his NFL debut against Kansas City on 9/7/23, Branch returned an interception 50 yards for a touchdown against Patrick Mahomes. During his 2023 rookie season, he ranked second among all NFL rookies with three interceptions and tied for the most tackles for loss (seven) by a Lions defensive back in a single season. In 2024, Branch earned Pro Bowl honors and was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week in Week 6, when he recorded two interceptions and a forced fumble at Dallas. Through 2025, he has accumulated 2.5 sacks and 9 pass defenses defensed.

Alabama2020 – 2022

Lions2023 — present

CollegeAlabamaDraftRound 2 · No. 45 overall · 2023 · DETHometownFayetteville, GA