Brian Branch only player returning to NFL green room after first-round snub

The NFL green room can be a cold and unforgiving place on draft night if you don’t happen to hear your named called right away. Only one of the 17 players who was invited to the green room will be present on Friday night as the second and third round unfold: Alabama defensive back Brian Branch.

Branch was one of four players who was not selected on Thursday night, along with Kentucky quarterback Will Levis, Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and Georgia Tech defensive end Keion White.

None of the latter three will be in the green room, opting to enjoy the draft away from the spotlight.

All four players were projected as potential first-round 2023 NFL Draft picks going into the draft.

The fall was perhaps most stark for Levis, who was projected as high as No. 4 overall to the Indianapolis Colts. But that pick was used instead to select Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Richardson was the third quarterback taken in the draft, behind Alabama’s Bryce Young at No. 1 overall and Ohio State‘s CJ Stroud at No. 2 overall.

Levis generated some mixed reviews ahead of the draft following a 2022 campaign in which injuries hampered him midway through. The Kentucky gunslinger finished his season throwing for 2,406 yards with 19 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while also adding two rushing touchdowns.

Like the others, he’ll be a coveted prospect come Friday evening after slipping early on in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Who will be the first of the remaining green room invitees to hear his name called in the 2023 NFL Draft on Friday night? Will it be Brian Branch, watching from the NFL green room? That remains to be seen, but the clock will begin ticking again soon.

The second round of the draft is slated to begin at 7 p.m. ET, with broadcasts airing the action on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network.