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Lions trade up to add DB Brian Branch in second round

ALLEN PARK — The Lions moved up in the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday night to select defensive back Brian Branch who played at Alabama.

Detroit made the deal with the Packers to move up three spots to grab Branch who was their fourth pick of the draft and second on the defensive side. He will join Alabama teammate RB Jahmyr Gibbs who was drafted 12th overall on Thursday. The Lions gave up their 159th pick in the fifth round in the deal.

Even though he wasn’t selected in the first round, Branch stayed in Kansas City calling it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. He said it was tough getting passed over. “But I’m happy to be a Lion, that’s the main thing right now,” Branch said via Zoom from Kansas City.

Branch, who is 6-foot and 190 pounds, was a star at Sandy Creek High School in Georgia, the same school that Lions Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson attended. He won the Georgia 5A Iron Man of the Year Award as a senior for his play on both sides of the ball.

At Alabama, the defensive back played in all 15 games in 2021, starting seven times and leading the Tide with nine pass breakups (also recording 55 tackles, five for loss). Branch broke out as a second-team Associated Press All-American as a junior, starting all 13 games (90 tackles, 14 for loss with three sacks, two interceptions, seven pass breakups).

He said playing for coach Nick Saban at Alabama gives him an edge.

“It’s prepared me a lot. I have a bit of an advantage because of the system I was in, I was almost in a pro-style system. Coach Saban taught me a lot of things. I’m happy he was my coach and I’m ready to play at the next level,” Branch said.

He’s versatile enough to play any position in the defensive backfield.

“I value it a lot and I work at it all phases of the game. I’m trying to get on the field anyway I can get on the field whether it be corner, safety, nickel – anywhere they want me,” Branch said.

He was teammates with running back Jahmyr Gibbs who was selected by the Lions with the 12th overall pick.

“Gibbs is a generational talent. … He did a lot of things I feel like his running style is like nobody I’ve ever seen, he can get in and out of holes, cuts easily and him being able to be a receiver sets him apart,” Branch said. “The sky is the limit for Jahmyr.”

As a true freshman at Alabama Branch played in a dozen games with three starts (27 tackles, two INTs, seven PBUs) in their 2020 national championship season.

Branch’s NFL prospect bio by Lance Zierlein reads: “Plug-and-play defensive back with every ingredient necessary to become a high-performing starter early in his career. Branch has primarily handled nickel coverage at Alabama but has the range and instincts for single-high or split safety looks. He’s quick, fast and strong with the ability to match up with shifty slots, bigger possession receivers and pass-catching tight ends. He’s urgent and has a mind for the game. He takes playmaking angles into the throwing lane but does have a tendency to play it a little safe from off-man coverage. There are areas where he can improve but no real weaknesses, which could make him one of the safest picks in the draft.’’

Lions draft TE Sam LaPorta of Iowa to open second round

ALLEN PARK — With the first of three second-round picks, the Lions selected tight end Sam LaPorta who played at Iowa, on Friday night with the 34th overall pick.

LaPorta will help fill the gap left when Detroit traded away tight end T.J. Hockenson at the trade deadline last season. LaPorta joins Lions tight ends Brock Wright, James Mitchell, Shane Zylstra and Derrick Deese Jr.

“I’m going to try to add as much value as I can as quickly as I can,” LaPorta said during a media interview on Friday night where he was speaking from a draft party in his hometown of Highland, Ill.

Of Detroit’s first three picks, two are from Iowa including linebacker Jack Campbell.

LaPorta said he was repeatedly asked during the interview process which teammate he would like to take with him to the NFL and his answer was always the same: Jack Campbell. He said he shot Campbell a congratulatory note on Thursday night.

LaPorta met coach Dan Campbell, a former NFL tight end, at the NFL Combine. “I can’t wait to work for him … I can certainly learn from his journey,” LaPorta said.

LaPorta, who is 6-foot-3 and weighs 245, led Iowa in receiving in 2022 (58-657-11.3, one TD, 12 games) and won the Big Ten Tight End of the Year Award. He set the school record for tight ends with 153 career receptions.

Per his NFL draft prospect report: “LaPorta has the ability to threaten zone coverage and will make the basic catches. However, he lacks the desired elusiveness and ball skills to come away with the more challenging catches. LaPorta takes on run-blocking chores with inconsistent positioning, but has the potential to improve with more work in that phase of the game. His catch production is splashy, but he appears to have average-starter potential at the next level.”

LaPorta played in 12 games as a true freshman at Iowa in 2019 (15-188-12.5). He was an honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference selection in 2020 after leading the Hawkeyes with 27 receptions (271 yards, 10.0 per, one TD) in eight games. League coaches voted him to the third team in 2021 as the team’s top receiver (53-670-12.6, team-high three TDs in 14 games).

LaPorta excelled at high school in Highland, Ill., catching the second-most touchdown passes in state history with 50 in his career.

LB Jack Campbell, Lions’ first-round pick, brings ‘mutt mentality’ from Iowa

ALLEN PARK — When Iowan Jack Campbell is off the field he’s all about family, God and hunting. He doesn’t participate on social media because he’d rather spend time talking to friends and family rather than on the phone.

Who is this guy?

On the football field he’s considered one of the top linebackers to ever come from Iowa and impressed the Lions enough that they selected him with the 18th overall pick in the draft on Thursday night.

“I’m a Midwestern kid who I feel like up to this point has kind of earned everything I’ve gotten,’’ Campbell said at a press conference on Friday. “I feel I have an old school, blue-collar mindset and I feel like that’s made me .. what they like about me and I feel that’s a perfect fit for Detroit. People in the city work for everything they get, never complain, never point fingers and that’s who I am and I feel like I couldn’t be in a better city that represents them. I’m excited to get started with this.’’

In many mock drafts, Campbell was projected as a late first-round or early second-round pick but the Lions were thrilled to take him at 18.

“What I did tell people in the NFL as they came through, is that one thing I can feel confident in saying is whoever drafts him is not going to let him leave the building over the next 10 years,’’ Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz said on a Zoom call Friday. “It’s one thing to get a really good football player, it’s another thing to get a guy who really adds value in so many other areas, I think that’s what Jack does, it’s just how he’s wired. To me that’s the bonus.’’

Campbell joins a linebacker room that includes Alex Anzalone, James Houston, Malcolm Rodriguez, Julian Okwara and Derrick Barnes. He said some of then have already reached out to him.

The 6-foot-5 linebacker lined up mostly inside at Iowa, but his versatility was another factor that attracted the Lions.

“I can tell you at our place, I’ve told people if we had five Jack Campbells all five would be starting. Two would’ve been our defensive ends and the other three would be linebackers,’’ Ferentz said. “He could’ve played any of the positions in our defense.’’

Last year Campbell was honored with the Butkus Award (nation’s top linebacker); William V. Campbell Trophy (best combination of academics, community service, and on-field performance); Nagurski–Woodson Defensive Player of the Year (Big Ten’s top defensive player) and was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten in 2021 and 2022.

While he seems straightforward and polite behind a podium, his mentality changes on the field.

“As soon as I step on the field I’m trying to put my teammates in the best position I can be, they can be in and I can be in. Whatever it takes to be as vocal as I’ve got to be, always having positive body language and always giving great effort but those are non-negotiables at the linebacker position,’’ Campbell said. “As soon as I step foot on the field nothing is more important than winning. Nothing is more important than going out there putting Jack Campbell’s best foot forward and also putting the linebackers’ best foot forward, pushing that room and getting pushed by those guys.’’

At first glance, he seems genuine and he doesn’t plan to alter that just because he is playing in the NFL.

“I’m going to come in with an attitude, I’m not going to change who I am. I’m going to stay true to myself as Jack Campbell and what worked at Iowa is how I’m going to carry myself here,’’ Campbell said. “All the linebackers at Iowa, our mentality was the mutt mentality. (Like) the mutt that all the little kids walked past because they wanted the new purebred puppies. That’s how I’m going to carry myself here.’’

Playing in the NFL was a childhood dream for Campbell who is trying to soak it all in since he got the phone call from GM Brad Holmes on Thursday night. He was at home in Cedar Falls, Iowa, with his family. Many of them joined him on his visit to Detroit on Friday.

Ferentz admits he’s “extremely biased” when it comes to Campbell who grew up about 90 miles from Iowa’s campus. The Iowa coach had his eye on him since 10th grade.

“My suspicion was that a smart team might jump there in the first round and grab him. … If you can get a guy like that I think you’re getting real value there and you’ve got to be thinking big picture, long game as well as short term,’’ Ferentz said. “To me, it’s a win-win.”