With the New York Giants selecting at No. 25 overall in the 2023 NFL draft, all options are on the table and no one really has any idea what they’ll do.
General manager Joe Schoen is open to a variety of trades as well as staying put and selecting the best player available based on need. And if Alabama safety Brian Branch happens to be there at the time, he very well could be the pick.
That would be an ideal situation for the Giants, says Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report.
The ideal situation for the Giants is that an elite defender drops in their lap. Alabama’s Brian Branch, a do-it-all defensive back, could live in the slot, where he played most of his snaps in college, per PFF, or play in any safety alignment.
Branch is one of those players who has everything you’d like to see on film but could fall during the draft because he plays a devalued position and had marginal athletic testing numbers in the predraft process.
The Giants have not re-signed Landon Collins or Tony Jefferson and let Julian Love walk, while they signing the 30-year-old Bobby McCain. Branch’s versatility would make him an immediate asset as a safety, nickel corner or both.
Branch’s versatility certainly makes him an interesting prospect and an ideal fit for Wink Martindale’s defense. However, most mock drafts have him going to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who select just ahead of the Giants at No. 24 overall.
If Branch is available at No. 25 overall, assuming the Giants stay put, it will be interesting to see what Schoen does.
