Branch, Steen among Alabama players selected on second day of NFL Draft

It was a busy first night for Alabama football during the 2023 NFL Draft with three players getting their names called in the first 12 picks of the first round. However, one player who may have been expecting a call on night one had to wait a little longer before finding out which team would be drafting him.

Alabama defensive back Brian Branch finally got that call Friday night midway through the second round when the Detroit Lions selected him 45th overall with the 14th pick in the second round. Branch is joining former Alabama teammate Jahmyr Gibbs who was taken by the Lions with the 12th pick in the first round Thursday night.

Branch was the second Alabama defensive player taken in this year's draft, following Will Anderson Jr. This marks the fourth straight year a member of the Crimson Tide's secondary was drafted. Branch became the 23rd defensive back out of Alabama to be drafted since Nick Saban took over the program in 2007.

Jordan Battle added to that list later Friday night when he was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals with the 95th overall pick.

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Branch played in 40 games across three seasons with the Crimson Tide. He recorded 27 pass deflections and four interceptions to go with three sacks and a fumble recovery during his career. Last season, Branch finished with a career-high 14 tackles for a loss and three sacks. He was selected as a first-team All-American by CBS and ESPN and a second-team All-American by the Associated Press.

The Lions now have a long list of players from Alabama on its roster with Branch and Gibbs joining Isaiah Buggs, Ross Pierschbacher, Savion Smith and Jameson Williams.

In the third round, the Philadelphia Eagles selected Alabama offensive lineman Tyler Steen with the 65th overall pick. Steen played tackle for the Crimson Tide but is expected to move inside to an interior guard position with the Eagles. He joins former Alabama players Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith and Landon Dickerson on the offensive side of the ball for the Eagles.

Alabama's Byron Young was selected with the seventh pick in the third round (70th overall) by the Las Vegas Raiders.

Alabama tight end Cameron Latu was drafted with the next to last pick of the third round, taken by the San Francisco 49ers 101st overall. He's the first Alabama tight end to be drafted since Irv Smith Jr. was taken in the second round of the 2019 draft.

The second and third rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft conclude Friday night with the final four rounds set to take place Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. Coverage of the draft can be seen on ABC 33/40.