Welcome to draft season! This is the ninth of 11 positional breakdowns leading up to the NFL draft (April 27-29). Here are my top 10 safeties:
— 1. Brian Branch (Jr., Alabama, 5-foot-11, 190 pounds)
Branch isn't a "freakish" athlete, but can play anywhere in the secondary and is one of the surest tacklers you will find in a defensive backfield. He was the only FBS player with 90-plus tackles, 14-plus tackles for loss and at least two interceptions in 2022. Searching for weakness in Branch's game is a little like trying to find Waldo. Projected: Round 1
