Jacksonville Jaguars Select Andre Branch, DE, Clemson 2012 NFL Draft Grade

With the 38th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft the Jacksonville Jaguars select Andre Branch, DE, Clemson

Here is our report on Branch:

Much like his teammate Brandon Thompson, Branch will have a very increased role on the Clemson defense this year with the departures of Jarvis Jenkins and Da’Quan Bowers. Branch had an OK year last year as a junior when he had 55 tackles, five sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, an astounding seven passes broken up, and 16 hurries on the quarterback. He has all the talent needed to make an impact in the NFL, but will he have the elite production to back it up? Branch’s 6’5″ 265 pound frame is absolutely ideal for the position going forward in a 4-3 scheme. He’s pretty quick for his size, and he definitely knows how to close in on a play. Obviously there are only so many sacks to go around, and Bowers used up a lot of them, but I expect Branch’s number to increase in 2011 as he emerges into a leadership role on the Clemson defense. It’s become clear that Branch was ready for an increased role in the Clemson defense, as he already has 8.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss through 11/10/11. Utilizes solid hand placement and had a sack out of a two-point stance against Virginia Tech (’11) the best game of his career. At this point, he still doesn’t have a great feel for the game, but that will come in time. He has so much natural talent and should be a very good pass rusher in the NFL out of either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme.

PROS: Quickness off the ball, length, overall NFL size, potential for scheme versatility, pretty good athlete, makes plays both in running and passing game, athleticism can wear on defenders as the game progresses, obviously well-conditioned

CONS: Tendency to whiff, can get dominated at POA, roughly half of season sacks came in one game, needs to continue to mature as a player, limited sample size, doesn’t have a problem getting upfield in a hurry, but sometimes needs to work more at closing in on QB and not relying on broken play sacks

Pick Grade: B+

Branch wasn’t my best player available, but he certainly has the skills to get to the quarterback in the NFL. The Jaguars had a need here after missing out on some guys in free agency, and I think he’ll be called upon to contribute right away.