As expected, the Detroit Lions got a defensive back with a first-round grade in the 2023 NFL draft.

It just happened to come in the second round, when Brad Holmes and company packaged picks No. 48 and No. 159 (fifth round) and moved up three spots to trade with the Green Bay Packers and select Alabama defensive back Brian Branch in the second round at No. 45 overall on Friday.

THE GRADE: Alabama S Brian Branch a second-round home run

The 6-foot, 190-pound safety was long expected to be a top-25 selection, but ran a 4.58-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and saw his stock drop.

Still, he stayed Friday as the final player in the green room in Kansas City, eventually walking across the stage and embracing commissioner Roger Goodell when his name was called (Darius Slay did the same when he was drafted by the Lions in 2013) on day two of the NFL draft.

"It was tough, just sitting in the room, you think you'll go day one and you watch the (other draft picks') joy," Branch said on a zoom call with reporters following the selection. "But I'm happy to be a Lion and that's the main thing right now and I can't wait to keep going."

A former Crimson Tide captain, Branch had 90 tackles, including 12 for loss, three sacks and two interceptions in 2022 when he was named a second team All-American. The former five-star recruit came out of Sandy Creek High School in Georgia, the alma mater of Lions Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson.

He was acquired as part of the second trade in as many days; the Lions also moved back from No. 6 overall to No. 12 on Thursday and acquired pick No. 34 in the process.

Branch's greatest strength is widely regarded as his versatility; he showed the ability to lineup on the outside, in the slot, or at safety with great success in the toughest conference in college football. His role in Nick Saban's defense at Alabama is similar to how the Lions say they intend to use CJ Gardner Johnson, which Branch thinks gives him a leg up as he enters the league.

"He can can add value to me," Branch said. "He's one of the greatest to do it and just to be able to play along with him means a lot to me. I think of it as a bit of an advantage to have him next to me and be able to learn from him.

"I value versatility a lot and work at all phases of the game. I'm trying to get on the field anyway I can get on the field, whether it be corner nickel, safety, anywhere they want me."

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Branch also called playing for Saban an "advantage" because he feels like he's played in a "near pro-style system" for years. That said, Detroit now has depth in the secondary with Gardner-Joseph, Kerby Joseph and Tracy Walker at the top of the depth chart in the safety room and Cameron Sutton and Emmanuel Mosely the front runners to start at cornerback.

Branch played on all phases of special teams during his time in Tuscaloosa, which could be the way he first gets on the field in Detroit and something he said he embraces.

"If it's what's required of me to get on the field, I'm going to do it," he said.

The Lions were extremely active on day two, sending picks Nos. 55 and 194 to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for Nos. 63, 122 and 249. They then moved back five spots to No. 68, where they selected Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker early in Round 3. As the third round neared a close, the Lions sent picks Nos. 122, 138, and 168 to the Cardinals for No. 96. The Lions addressed a need and selected defensive tackle Brodric Martin.

The Lions took two Hawkeyes and two Crimson Tide with their first four picks. They grabbed Iowa tight end Sam LaPorta with the No. 34 pick earlier Friday and picked Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs and Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell in the first round on Thursday.

To a man, everybody taken by the Lions was called a "Dan Campbell" player or a "Brad Holmes" player by national media. Just before he signed off, Branch was asked what he thinks it means to be called a "Dan Campbell" player.

"I feel like I have the intangibles coach Dan wants," he said. "That dawg mentality, that's what I got and that's it. Nobody else can take that from me. I think that's what (they) mean by that."

Contact Tony Garcia at apgarcia@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @realtonygarcia.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions trade for Alabama's Brian Branch in Round 2 of NFL draft 2023