Jeremy Zuttah
OL / Sr.
Rutgers
6' 4'' / 295 lbs.

POSITIVES

This kid is massive. Unlike some massive DTs, Branch is fairly lean. He's a much better athlete than his build would lead you to believe. He's very strong and powerful, particularly at the point of attack, commanding a double team on every play. At times he seemed to live in the offensive backfield, and that's due to a nice first step and raw power.

NEGATIVES

Branch is probably too tall to play NT and too big to play a 3-4 DE. He's not very fast, and although able to work his way up field, he doesn't get a consistent push in his pass rush. To me, it appears that he doesn't use his hands as well as he'd like when he's working against a stationary offensive lineman. He clearly works better when the man he's lined up against is moving laterally as well. Obviously with any man this big, you have to be sure he's a hard worker and will maintain his conditioning.

FINAL WORD

Branch looks to be one of the first couple of defensive players off the board. He's got a ton of potential, and that's no play on words about his size. This is a giant man, and as a run stuffer, he's the best in the draft. He's not the most agile guy and isn't a Tommie Harris type of player in pass defense, but the reality of the situation is, he's a versatile player. If he gets on the right team, he could be a dominant force in the middle of an NFL defense.