Alabama safety Brian Branch declares for NFL Draft

Alabama safety Brian Branch declared for the NFL Draft, according to a post on his Instagram page.

“I’ve developed so much since my freshman year and because of Alabama, I’m confident that I’m prepared to take my game to the next level,” Branch wrote in part. “After thoughtful conversations with my family and coaches, I’ve decided to forgo my senior year and enter the 2023 NFL Draft. This has been a dream of mine since I could remember and I’m ready to embrace this next journey for my life.

Branch had the best season of his career in 2022. In 13 games, he had 90 total tackles, 58 solo tackles, 14 tackles for loss, three sacks, two interceptions and seven pass deflections.

He finished his college career with 172 total tackles, 111 solo tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, 23 pass deflections and one fumble recovery.

Branch played high school football at Tyrone (Ga.) Sandy Creek, where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 70 overall recruit in the 2020 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event will be held at the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. 100 underclassman were approved for last year’s draft. 73 of those 100 underclassmen were granted special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL scouting combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.